Gr6B NaturalSciences Teacher Eng

Natural Sciences
Natural Sciences and Technology Grade 6-B

Teacher’s Guide 6-B covers:
Energy and Change and Systems and Control (Term 3)
& Earth and Beyond and Systems and Control (Term 4).
and Technology
Grade 6-B
(CAPS)
Teacher’s Guide
Natural Sciences and
Technology
Grade 6-B
Teacher’s Guide
CAPS
Revised for 2014
Developed and funded as an ongoing project

by the Sasol Inzalo Foundation in partnership
with Siyavula and volunteers.
Distributed by the Department of Basic Education.
Frontmatter Teacher's Gr. 6-A.indd 1 2012/09/29 1:21 PM

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Your freedom to legally copy this book
You are allowed and encouraged to freely copy this book. You can photocopy,
print and distribute it as often as you like. You can download it onto your
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upload it to your website.
The only restriction is that you cannot change this book, its cover or content
in any way.
For more information, about the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0

Unported (CC-BY-ND 3.0) license, see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by-nd/3.0/
The Thunderbolt Kids characters were originally created as part of the Kusasa
project (www.kusasa.org), a Shuttleworth Foundation initiative. The Shuttle-
worth Foundation granted permission for the use of these characters and
related artwork.
Frontmatter Learner's Gr. 6-B.indd 2 2012/09/29 1:28 PM

AUTHORS LIST
This book was written by Siyavula and volunteer educators, academics and
students. Siyavula believes in the power of community and collaboration.
By training volunteers, helping them network across the country, encouraging
them to work together and using the technology available, the vision is to
create and use open educational resources to transform the way we teach and
learn, especially in South Africa. For more information on how to get involved
in the community and volunteer, visit www.siyavula.com
Siyavula Core Team

Megan Beckett, Ewald Zietsman
Siyavula Extended Team
Neels van der Westhuizen, René Toerien, Bridget Nash, Heather Williams,
Dr Mark Horner, Delita Otto, Marthélize Tredoux, Luke Kannemeyer
Contributors
Ronald Arendse, Prof Ilsa Basson, Rudolph Basson, Mariaan Bester, Darryl
Bimray, Brandt Botes, Novosti Buta, Michaela Carr, Kade Cloete, Julian
Cowper, Dawn Crawford, Zorina Dharsey, Octave Dilles, Shamin Garib, Sanette
Gildenhuys, Nicole Gillanders, Celestè Greyling, Martli Greyvenstein, Lee-Ann
Harding, Dr Colleen Henning, Anna Herrington, Ruth-Anne Holm, Adam Hyde,
Karishma Jagesar, Wayne Jones, Kristi Jooste, Louise King, Paul van
Koersveld, Dr Erica Makings, Dhevan Marimandi, Dowelani Mashuvhamele,
Glen Morris, Busisiwe Mosiuoa, Andrea Motto, Gladys Munyorovi, Johann
Myburgh, Mervin Naik, Alouise Neveling, Owen Newton-Hill, Mthuthuzeli
Ngqongqo, Godwell Nhema, Brett Nicolson, Mawethu Nocanda, Seth Phatoli,
Swasthi Pillay, Karen du Plessis, Jennifer Poole, Brice Reignier, Irakli
Rekhviashvili, Jacques van Rhyn, Kyle Robertson, Ivan Sadler, Thaneshree
Singh, Hèléne Smit, Karen Stewart, James Surgey, Isabel Tarling, Rose Thomas,
Dr Francois Toerien, Antonette Tonkie, Wetsie Visser, Vicci Vivier, Karen
Wallace, Dawid Weideman, Dr Rufus Wesi, Matthew Wolfe
A special thank you goes to St John's College in Johannesburg for hosting the
authoring events which led to the first version of these workbooks.
Frontmatter Learner's Gr. 4-A.indd 3 2012/09/29 1:28 PM

THIS IS MORE THAN JUST A WORKBOOK!
In many places you will see there are “Visit” boxes in the margins. These
boxes contain links to videos online, interesting websites which pertain to the
content, or else games or activities for learners to complete.
To access these websites or videos, simply type the link provided into your
address bar in your internet browser. The links look like this for example,
goo.gl/vWKnF
You can use these links in your lessons or else explain to your learners that
they can watch them at home on a PC, laptop or on their mobile phones.
To download these workbooks or learn more about the project, visit the Sasol
Inzalo Foundation website at http://sasolinzalofoundation.org.za

THE NATURAL SCIENCES AND
TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM
Science as we know it today has roots in African, Arabic, Asian, European and
American cultures. It has been shaped by the search to understand the natural
world through observation, testing and proving of ideas, and has evolved to
become part of the cultural heritage of all nations. In all cultures and in all
times people have wanted to understand how the physical world works and
have needed explanations that satisfy them.
Natural Sciences and Technology complement each other
This is the first year that Natural Sciences and Technology have been combined
into one subject, which is compulsory for all learners in Grades 4 to 6. Natural
Sciences and Technology are also both compulsory subjects for all learners
in Grades 7 to 9. These two subjects have been integrated into one subject
as they complement each other.
Natural Sciences Technology
Goal Pursuit of new knowledge and The creation of structures,

understanding of the world systems and processes to
around us and of natural meet peoples’ needs and
phenomena. improving the quality of life.
Focus Focus is on understanding the Focus is on understanding the

natural world. need for human–made objects
and environments to solve
problems.
Developmental Discovery through carrying Making products through

methods out investigations. design, invention and
production.
Major Investigative and logical Practical solution-orientated

processes processes processes
• planning investigations • identifying a need
• conducting investigations • planning and designing
and collecting data • making (constructing)
• evaluating data and • evaluating and improving
communicating findings products
• communicating
Evaluation Analysis , generalisation and Analysis and application of

methods creation of theories. design ideas.

ORGANISATION OF THE CURRICULUM
In this curriculum, the knowledge strands below are used as a tool for
organising the content of the subject Natural Sciences and Technology.
Natural Sciences Strands Technology Strands
Life and Living Structures

Matter and Materials Processing
Energy and Change Systems and Control
Earth and Beyond
Allocation of teaching time
Time for Natural Sciences and Technology has been allocated in the following way:
• 10 weeks per term, with 3.5 hours per week
• Grades 4, 5 and 6 have been designed to be completed within 38 weeks
• 7 hours have been included for assessment in terms 1, 2 & 3
• Term 4 work will cover 8 weeks plus 2 weeks for revision and examinations
Below is a summary of the time allocations per topic. The time allocations
provide an indication of the weighting of each topic. However, this is a
guideline and should be applied flexibly according to circumstances in the
classroom and to accommodate the interests of the learners.
Life and Living and Structures
Chapter Time Allocation
1. Photosynthesis 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)
2. Nutrients in food 1.5 weeks (5.25 hours)
3. Nutrition 1.5 weeks (5.25 hours)
4. Food processing 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)
5. Ecosystems and food webs 2 weeks (7 hours)

Matter and Materials and Structures
1. Solids, liquids and gases 0.5 weeks (1.75 hours)
2. Mixtures 1 week (3.5 hours)
3. Solutions as special mixtures 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)
4. Dissolving 1 week (3.5 hours)
5. Mixtures and water resources 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)
6. Processes to purify water 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)
Energy and Change and Systems and Control
1. Electric circuits 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)
2. Electrical conductors and insulators 2 weeks (7 hours)
3. Systems to solve problems 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)
4. Mains electricity 3 weeks (10.5 hours)
Earth and Beyond and Systems and Control
1. The solar system 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)
2. Movements of the Earth and planets 1 week (3.5 hours)
3. The movement of the Moon 1 week (3.5 hours)
4. Systems for looking into space 1 week (3.5 hours)
5. Systems to explore the Moon and Mars 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)

3ontents
4nergy and 3hange

4lectric circuits
. 1 simple circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 3ircuit diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4lectrical conductors and insulators

. What are conductors and insulators? . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 6ood electrical conductors and insulators . . . . . . . . .
Systems to solve problems

. Using electric circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 2e an electrical engineer or technician . . . . . . . . . . .
Mains electricity
. 5ossil fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 3ost of electricity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 8llegal connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. Renewable ways to generate electricity . . . . . . . . . .
4arth and 2eyond

The solar system
. The Sun, planets and asteroids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. Moons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Movements of the 4arth and planets

. Rotation (4arth) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. Revolution (4arth) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The movement of the Moon

. Rotation (Moon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. Revolution (Moon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Systems to explore the Moon and Mars

. Vehicles used on Mars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. Vehicles used on the Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. Design and make a vehicle to collect Moon rocks . . . .
Systems for looking into Space

. Telescopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Notes
.
.
4lectric circuits
..K4Y
. ..QU4ST8ONS
.
• What is electricity?
• 7ow do we construct a simple electric circuit?
• What are electric circuit components?
• What is the function of each circuit component?
• What is the difference between a closed and open electric
circuit?
Use a Learning 3ycle approach to teach 4lectric 3ircuits:
. 4ngage: 1ssess the learners' prior knowledge by engaging

them with either questions or a task related to the new
concept to be learnt. The activities should provide an
opportunity for learners to talk about their prior experiences
with the concept.
. 4xplore: The teacher provides a common activity, task or
series of activities in which learners engage. Part of the
exploration phase could be for learners to predict what they
think would happen during an activity. The activities should
provide learners the opportunity to collect and organise data
that will allow them to generate explanations for the
phenomenon under investigation.
. 4xplain and reflect: The teacher leads a discussion around the
learners' data. The teacher introduces vocabulary, ideas,
concepts, etc. as necessary. The teachers and learners may
co-construct an explanation for the phenomenon under
investigation.
. 4laborate or apply: The teacher provides opportunities for
learners to extend their understanding by providing new
and/or related experiences for them to apply what they have
learnt.
. 4valuate: 1ssess the learners' understanding of the
concept/phenomenon through any appropriate manner.
. 1 simple circuit
Many misconceptions develop in learners' minds about electricity

and electrical phenomena if teachers are not careful about the
correct use of scientific language and appropriate conceptual
development of these ideas. Teachers speak, for example, too
loosely about concepts like electricity, electric current and charge
as if these concepts are the same thing. Learners were first
introduced to electricity in 6r. and this year the concept will be
built upon much further.
8f we think of the world that we are currently living in, one of the
things that we encounter every day and almost everywhere is
electricity.
13T8V8TY: What do you know about electricity?

8n step of the Learning 3ycle, learners must brainstorm what they
know about electricity.
Think about electricity and write your answers or responses in the

spaces provided below.
QU4ST8ONS:
. Name and draw five appliances in your home that need
electricity to work.
. Name five applications (uses) of electricity in your
neighbourhood. .
New Words
. Name five applications of electricity in your school.
• electric circuit
. Why is electricity important to you? • . current
electric
• component
. Why is electricity important for your city or town? • device
• appliance
. Why is electricity important for your country? • battery
• switch
. You are building a brand new house. You want an electric
stove in your kitchen. Name all the things that must be done
for your stove to work.
4lectric stove is connected to the electrical supply from a

supplier like 4SKOM, also called the mains supply. 1n
electrician must install the connecting wires in the house.
. .
3hapter . 4lectric circuits
. 3ellphones work with electricity. 7ow does your cellphone
make use of electricity?
3ellphone has a battery.

. What is the difference between the way we can get an
electric stove and a cellphone to work?
1 cellphone works from a rechargeable battery. The stove is

connected to the mains supply. The cellphone battery is
recharged from the same electrical
. supply as for the stove.
. What would you say electricity is?
4lectricity is the name given to a wide range of electrical

phenomena. 8t underlies in one form or another almost everything
around us. 8t has applications in science, engineering and
technology. 8t has to do with the physical phenomena associated
VISIT
with the presence and movement of electrically charged objects.
. 4lectricity includes a wide variety of well-known electrical effects,
1 simple circuit
goo.gl/4eRDs such as , , and an in an electric wire.
We are using electricity all the time. We need to understand what

it is about and how to use it safely and correctly.
7ave you ever used a flash light (torch)? What is it used for? 7ow
do you get the flash light to work? Let us try to get the bulb of a
torch to work. We want to do this without using the torch itself.
13T8V8TY: 7ow to get a light bulb to work
8n step of the Learning 3ycle, learners explore how to construct a

simple electric circuit by getting a light bulb to work.
2efore getting the learners to do the activity, do it yourself and

.
ensure that it works with the batteries and bulbs available. Some
bulbs might need a battery of more than . V. The best would be to
find bulbs that would work from . V. The wires could be obtained
from any electrical appliance not used anymore. 8f you cannot find
a bulb that would work from . V, then try a V battery.
There is a YouTube video ( - minutes) that might be helpful to

teach this unit.
...
4nergy and 3hange

M1T4R81LS:
• D-size battery ( . V)
• torch light bulb
• three pieces of electric wire - cm long with the ends
about cm stripped of the plastic insulating material
• adhesive tape or Prestik
• piece of cardboard
• two thumbnails with metal (brass) tops (remove plastic if tops
are covered)
• a metal paper clip (remove the plastic if covered)
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
4lectrical contact is important in all the activities that follow. 8f the
connections or switches do not work . later on, ensure that there is
electrical contact (metal on metal) at each contact point in the
circuit. Take care to indicate this to the learners as well.
. Work in pairs.
. The pictures below show four ways of connecting the battery
and the bulb using only ON4 wire.
. 5irst predict if the bulb will light.
. Then do the connection and test if your prediction was
correct.
8t is NOT important for learners to get the predictions correct! This

is part of a learning process that works towards conceptual
understanding and coherence. 7owever, predictions are based on
some reasoning, and so it 8S very important that they are allowed
to reflect on why their predictions were incorrect. Many learners
leave the school system believing that predicting is guessing with
no follow-up.
. .
Prediction - Will 4xperiment - Did
3ircuit the bulb light up? the bulb light up?
(Yes or no) (Yes or no)
No
No
Yes
No
. 7ow many other ways can you light the bulb? Try different
connections. Draw those that work and those that do not
work in the table below.
...
4nergy and 3hange

Learners might come up with more connections that do not work
rather than connections that would work. The bulb could be put on
the negative side of the battery as well to get a connection that
can work.
3onnections that do not

3onnections that work work
. Describe in words what you did to get the bulb to light.
Teacher note: The core objective here is to form a complete path

for electricity that connects one terminal of the battery to one
terminal of the light bulb and the other to the other.
. You have just constructed a simple electric circuit! Let us
now see if you can also find a way to light the bulb using two
wires.
. The next pictures show four ways of connecting the battery
and the bulb with TWO wires.
. .
. Use adhesive tape or Prestik to keep the wires attached to the
battery. Do the same as before:
. 5irst predict if the bulb will light.
. Then do the connections and test if your prediction was
correct.
Prediction - Will 4xperiment - Did

3ircuit the bulb light up? the bulb light up?
(Yes or no) (Yes or no)
No
Yes
.
No
No
...
4nergy and 3hange

. Try some more ways to connect the battery and the bulb with
two wires. Draw one example of a setup that worked and one
that did not work.
Setup that works Setup that does NOT work
. You have constructed another example of an electric circuit!

. Describe in words what you have done to get the bulb to light
in the case of using two wires.
8n step of the Learning 3ycle, a discussion should follow.

8ntroduce some of the vocabulary, ideas and concepts. Together
with your learners you must co-construct an explanation for the
phenomenon under investigation (why the electric circuit works or
does not work).
Now that we have investigated different ways of making a simple

circuit, let's define it in more detail.
QU4ST8ONS
.4lectric circuits have different components. What does

'component' mean? Look up the definition for component in
your dictionary and write it below.
1 part or element of a larger whole, especially a part of a

machine or vehicle.
1 simple electric circuit has at least three components:
. 1 source of energy, such as a battery.
. .
. 3onducting material, such as the electric wires.
. 1 device that transfers the energy for a useful purpose, such
as the bulb that provides light.
Note that the diagram has an additional component: a bulb holder.

2e aware that this obscures the actual connections to the bulb.
1 simple circuit
Do you think there is something flowing through the bulb when it

lights up? When we connect the bulb so that it lights up there is
something flowing through the whole circuit. When it does not
light up, we have not made a proper or complete pathway for
electricity. This flowing `thing' is called electric current. 8f the bulb
lights up, we say there is an electric current in the circuit. The
electric circuit is a system for transferring energy. Think again
about the circuits that you have constructed so far.
QU4ST8ONS
.What are the conditions for the bulb to light up?
The circuit should have at least all three components as

mentioned above. The circuit should be closed. The
connections should provide electrical contact (metal on
metal).
Let us look at the torch once more:
. 8s the bulb providing light all the time?

. When does it provide light and when not?
. What do we call the component of the flashlight that allows
us to turn the light on and off?
...
4nergy and 3hange

1 switch is used to put an electrical device on or off. 2ut how does
it work?
VISIT
Simulations to build
.
simple circuits
goo.gl/Vimj2 and
This is a typical torch - the big red button is the switch.
goo.gl/jrGJ3
13T8V8TY: 8nvestigating how a switch works
M1T4R81LS:
• a paperclip
• two thumbnails (drawing pins)
• a piece of cardboard
• a torch bulb
• pieces of wire
• batteries
.
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. To make the switch, bend the paper clip as shown in the

diagram.
. Pin the ends of the two wires down on the cardboard with the
thumbnails. One of the thumbnails should also pin down the
paper clip.
. The other end of the paper clip can be moved to make
contact with the second thumbnail or not.
. Move the paper clip away so that it does not make contact
with this thumbnail.
. .
The switch
. We now want to use the switch. Use the same setup for a
simple electric circuit with a bulb, battery and wires as you
did in the last activity.
. 3onnect the paperclip switch to the battery by using a third
electric wire. Remember to keep the wire ends in position
with cellotape or Prestik.
The setup with the switch and simple circuit
QU4ST8ONS:
. Move the paper clip onto the second thumbnail. What

happens?
The bulb lights up.
. Move the paper clip away from the second thumbnail? What
happens now?
The bulb goes out.
. 4xplain why you think the paper clip and cardboard device
can be called a switch.
...
4nergy and 3hange

We already said that a switch is used to turn an electrical device on
or off. We can also say that a switch is used to close or open an
electrical circuit. When the switch is on, the circuit is closed. 1n
VISIT
electric current then exists in the circuit. We could also say there is
an unbroken electric pathway in the circuit. . from
Making a battery
a lemon (video)
When the switch is off the circuit is open. 8n this case there is no goo.gl/YL7WR
electric current in the circuit. The electric pathway is now broken.
QU4ST8ONS
.Name four other electrical appliances in your home that have

a switch.
3ircuit components
We need to have a closer look at the components in the electric
circuit. This will help us to understand how a circuit works.
5or the following activities, it is best if learners can see the actual
components mentioned (different batteries, light bulbs, etc), but if
that is not possible, then make reference to the photos included to
complete the questions. This will help learners to realise that the
circuits they are building in class represent bigger circuits that are
all around them in their daily lives, whether it is the circuit in a car
or a circuit in a house or the classroom when you turn on the light.
13T8V8TY: 2atteries come in all shapes and sizes
M1T4R81LS :
• a selection of different batteries, such as:

– a torch battery
– a watch battery .
– a cellphone battery
– a hearing aid battery
– a car battery (or photo)
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. Look at a typical torch battery.
. .
. Describe in words what the battery looks like. Refer
specifically to the ends of the battery.
The battery is shaped like a cylinder. One end is flat, and the other
end has a knob. The battery is covered in a metallic material.
. Look carefully to see if you can identify a positive (+) and a

negative (-) sign on the battery. Which side of the battery is
marked with a positive sign and which side with a negative
sign?
The side with the knob is the positive end, and the flat side is the
negative end.
. Look at this image of a typical

torch battery. 8ndicate on the
image which is the positive and
which the negative pole of the
battery. Use a (+) and (-) sign as
you have seen it on the battery.
. 2atteries come in all shapes and sizes. Look at the pictures

below of different batteries.
Different sized and shaped batteries
. You may be lucky enough to have different types of batteries

in your class, such as from a watch, a cellphone or a car. 8f not,
ask an adult in your family to show you a car battery, a
cellphone battery and a battery used in a watch after school.
...
4nergy and 3hange

. Draw sketches of such batteries below. 8ndicate on each
sketch the positive and the negative pole of each kind of
battery. 2elow are some photos to help you if you cannot find
these batteries.
3ar battery 3ellphone battery Watch battery
1 car battery Watch batteries: these are quite

small!
5or some appliances it is very important that the batteries are put
correctly into a specific position. Why do you think this is the
case? This is because the battery is used to get an electric current
in the appliance and in some appliances the electric current can
only go in a specific direction through the appliance. To prevent
the appliance from being damaged, the battery must be inserted in
the correct direction.
13T8V8TY: 8nvestigating bulbs
M1T4R81LS: .
• a torch bulb used in the simple circuit activity

• a light bulb for a house fitting
. .
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. 3ompare the bulb that you used

for the circuits with a light bulb
that is used in a light fitting in a
house or in your classroom. 7ere
is a close up of a light bulb used in
a house fitting if you do not have
an actual one.
1 light bulb
. Try to identify the following six parts of the bulb: glass cover,
bottom metal casing, two metal pins, very thin wire between
the metal pins, glass piece that keeps the metal pins in
position and a metal contact point at the bottom. Label all
parts of the bulb on the sketch below.
. 1ssume the bulb is connected to a battery. Use a bright

DID YOU KNOW?
colour pencil or pen (red if possible) to draw the path of the
electric current through the bulb.
8n , just over
years ago, Thomas The path should start at the metal casing, then up one of the metal
. the
4dison invented pins, then through the thin wire, then down the other pin to the
first light bulb. Think connection point at the bottom of the bulb.
of the all the changes
it has brought to our . We know now that a bulb lights up when it is connected
world today! correctly to a battery. Where in the bulb does the light come
from?
...
4nergy and 3hange

The thin wire between the two metal pins.
. 7ow does the glass cover feel after the bulb was on for some
time?
7otter than before. .
. There are also other kinds of light emitters: 5luorescent,

L4Ds, halogen lamps, etc. See if you can identify what type of
lights are used in your classroom.
The battery is the source of energy. Some of the energy is

transported through the electric wires to the thin wire inside the
bulb. The thin wire becomes hot and emits (gives off) light. 5rom
the thin wire, the energy dissipates to produce heat and light. So,
chemical energy from the battery is transferred to the bulb to
provide light and heat.
13T8V8TY: Let's look more at electric wires
M1T4R81LS:
• conducting wires
Make sure the insulation has been stripped off the ends of the wire
so that the metal wire is sticking out of the end of the wire.
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. Look carefully at the end of a. piece of electric wire, or else

look at the photo below.
. 4xamine the inside and outside of the wire.
The end of this wire has been stripped of the plastic.
. .
QU4ST8ONS:
. What are the two materials shown in this photo?

8nside: copper wire, Outside: coloured plastic material
. Why does the wire have different materials on the inside and
the outside? What are the functions of the inside and outside
materials?
.
8nside: 3opper wire is an electrical conducting material. 8t
allows a path for an electric current in a circuit. 4nergy is
transported in the copper wire from a battery to a device.
Outside: 3oloured plastic is an electrical insulating material. 8t
prevents the transfer of energy to the environment. 8t is also
there for safety purposes to prevent damage or shock if the
electric current is large.
We have already discussed and constructed a switch, but a light

switch in a house looks a bit different.
1 light switch
QU4ST8ONS
.Describe in words how you think a light switch in your house

works. 7int: look again how we made a switch with a paper
clip.
When you flick the switch on, a connection is made (and the
circuit is closed) meaning the light bulb will light up. When the
switch is turned the other way (off), then the connection will
be broken and the circuit will not transfer energy, meaning the
light bulb will not light up.
...
4nergy and 3hange

. 3ircuit diagrams
8f we want to keep a record of how we constructed a specific

electric circuit, we can take a photo of it. 8f we do not have a
camera, we can remember the circuit by drawing a sketch.
Look at the sketch below which 5arrah drew of the circuit that you
made in the activity with the paperclip switch.
1 sketch of the simple circuit with a paperclip switch, battery and bulb
7ey, but 8 can't draw as well as

5arrah! 8t would take me forever
to draw a sketch of the circuits we
have made in class!
That's right 9ojo. 8t takes time to draw a sketch like this one that
5arrah drew. 8t will even take longer if we add more components to
a circuit. We could have more than one bulb like in the case of all
the lights in your home. There could be also more than one switch.
4ach light in your home has its own switch.
. .
1s 9ojo pointed out, all of us do not draw equally well! To save
time and to avoid bad sketches, scientists came up with a way of
representing the components of a circuit with special symbols.
These symbols are used all over the world. 8t helps scientists,
engineers and technicians to draw or record circuits more quickly.
8t also helps everybody to understand the circuit in the same way.
The table shows the sketch 5arrah drew and the symbol for each of
the components of our circuit.
3omponent Sketch Symbol
2attery
2ulb
4lectrical wire
Open switch,
circuit open:
Switch
3losed switch,
circuit closed:
R4M4M24R: a battery is made up of chemical cells. Sometimes

people refer to batteries as cells, but in this book we will mostly
use the term battery or batteries.
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That's much better! 8 can
definitely draw these easy
symbols for circuit diagrams!
When we put these symbols together to represent an electric

circuit, we call it a circuit diagram.
QU4ST8ONS
.Draw a circuit diagram of the sketch above. Use the symbols

in the table in place of sketching the components.
3ompare your diagram with the one below. You might have drawn
a diagram like the one below.
Take note that for electric circuit diagrams we represent the wires
with straight lines.
. .
This is a simple and quick way to represent an electric circuit and it
should be clear to everyone that this circuit has a battery, a bulb
and a switch, all connected with electric wires. 1lthough we draw
the wires as straight lines in a circuit diagram, remember that in
real life, the wires are not straight. 9ust think of the electric wires
that are attached to the appliances in your home, like to a kettle, a
lamp, a vacuum cleaner or a computer.
13T8V8TY: Swap the components
Teacher note: 8n step of the Learning 3ycle, the teacher provides

opportunities for learners to extend their understanding by
providing new and/or related experiences for them to apply what
they have learnt.
M1T4R81LS:
• circuit components (battery, wire, bulb, switch)

.
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. Think again about our electric circuit and the diagram above.
We have the battery on the left, the bulb at the top and the
switch at the bottom.
. 1ssume we swap the bulb with the battery. The bulb is now
on the left and the battery at the top.
. 5irst of all, draw the circuit diagram for such a setup.
. Predict what will happen if you close the switch.
The bulb will light up with the same brightness as before.
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. Set up the circuit like this with the components you used
before. Put the switch on and check if your prediction was
correct. What do you conclude? Does it matter where in the
circuit we position the components?
.
The sequence of the components in a simple circuit like the one
used here is not important. The electric current will be the same in
either case, since we did not change the battery (same power
supply) or the bulb (same resistance).
Let's now practise drawing circuit diagrams.
13T8V8TY: Drawing circuit diagrams
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
5or each of the following, draw a circuit diagram in the space using
all the components that are listed.
. 1 circuit with cell and bulbs

. 1 circuit with cells and bulbs
. 1 circuit with cells and bulbs
. 1 circuit with cells, a bulb and an open switch
. 1 circuit with cell, bulbs and a closed switch (the switch
must be in between the bulbs)
More than one possible circuit can. be drawn here. The given ones
follow certain entrenched conventions. There is no reason why
circuit for example can't have alternating batteries and bulbs.
The learners can even be asked to construct this circuit and
observe if there is any noticeable difference in how the light bulbs
behave. 8f they behave as before there is no real difference
between the two circuits even though the connections are
different.
. .
:
. :
.K4Y 3ON34PTS
• 1n electric circuit is a system for transferring energy.

• 1 circuit is a complete and unbroken pathway for electricity.
• 1 simple circuit is made up of different components (a
source of energy, conductors and a device).
• 1 circuit can have a switch to turn it on or off.
• 4lectric circuits can be drawn as circuit diagrams using
symbols.
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.
R4V8S8ON:
8n step of the Learning 3ycle, the teacher assesses the learners'
understanding.
. 4xplain in your own words what an electric circuit is.

1n electric circuit is a system for transferring electrical energy.
8t is a complete, unbroken path for electricity.
. What is the function of each electrical component in the table
below?
3omponent 5unction
4lectric wire
2attery
Switch
2ulb
. 8n which of the following electric circuits will the bulb glow?

Write yes or no next to each diagram. Write down a reason
for your answer below the circuit.
.
Yes or no: Yes or no:
Reason: Reason:
Yes or no: Yes or no:
Reason: Reason:
. .
. Draw a circuit diagram of the circuit shown below.
. Look at the following circuit diagram. Write down all the

components represented in this circuit. 8nclude the number of
each component as well.
Two cells, two bulbs, a switch and connecting electric wires.
. The circuit diagram in question represents a real circuit. 8n

the real circuit, are the bulbs lit up? Why do you say so?
Yes, they are as the switch is closed.
Symbolic representation is new to learners at this level. Make it

explicit that when we say ìn the above circuit' we really mean 'in
the actual circuit that this is a diagram of'.
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. Look at the following circuit diagram. The bulb does not light
up for four reasons. Draw a circle around the parts of the
circuit that prevent the bulb from lighting up. 6ive a reason
why the bulb doesn't light up in each case.
2atteries: one battery `pushes' current one way, the other the
other way, so no current
Switch: open so current can't pass through it.
Light bulb: only one terminal connected to circuit, so no current

can pass through it
6ap in circuit: no current can pass through it.

. The circuit diagram in Question represents a real circuit. Use
the space below to draw what the real circuit might look like,
if all the problems with the circuit were sorted out.
8 hope you enjoyed drawing

circuit diagrams too!
Let's find out more about

electrical components.
. .
4lectrical conductors and insulators
.K4Y QU4ST8ONS
. .• ..What
. does it mean if something conducts electricity?
• What is the difference between an electrical conductor and
insulator?
• Why are insulators important?
We use electric wires in electric circuits. Did you have a close look
at the wire? Did you notice what materials are used on the inside
and outside of the wire? We should also know why two different
materials make up an electric wire.
. What are conductors and insulators?
We can say that a material or object conducts electricity or it does

not. 2ut what does this mean? Let's do an investigation to find
New Words
. out. To do this we are going to use a simple circuit. We will
• conductor connect pieces of different materials into a closed circuit with a
• insulator
light bulb in it. We can easily see if the material is a conductor.
QU4ST8ONS
.7ow will you know if the material in the simple circuit conducts
electricity?
The bulb will light up.

.
8NV4ST861T8ON: What kind of materials can we use in

electric circuits?
One cannot investigate materials with low but significant

conductance such as salt water. Later there is reference to
shocking and the dangers involved. The reason we get shocked is
because we are pretty good conductors. This is mostly due to the
fact that our bodies have a fair amount of salt in solution. 1lso,
pure water is a very poor conductor and poses much less of a
shock risk. 8n this investigation, some substances, such as salt
water, cannot be tested (unless many batteries are connected in
series to the test circuit).
18M:
. Write down an aim for this investigation.

To investigate if materials have conducting or insulating
properties
M1T4R81LS 1ND 1PP1R1TUS:

.
• D-size battery ( . V)
• torch light bulb
• three pieces of electric wire - cm long with the ends
(about cm) stripped of the plastic insulating material
• adhesive tape or Prestik
• various objects made of different materials like:
– metal paper clip (remove the plastic if covered)
– paper clip covered with plastic
– rubber band
– nail
– glass object (rod, tube or just a piece of glass)
– pen
– coins (brass and silver)
– cardboard
– paper (fold the paper to form at least layers to make it
easier to connect in a circuit)
– steel wool
– piece of wood
– pencil (contact points on the wood)
– pencil with both sides sharpened to expose the lead, test
the lead part of the pencil
– rubber
. .
3hapter . 4lectrical
conductors and insulators
– chalk
– piece of ceramic
– aluminium foil
– metal spoon
– plastic spoon
– piece of leather
– drinking straw
– styrofoam
Learners can work in pairs, or groups of - . The idea is to

investigate different types of materials first to see if they conduct
electricity or not so that learners come to the conclusion
themselves that conductors are normally metals, and insulators
(non-conductors) are normally non-metals.
M4T7OD:
. Use three electrical wires to set up the electric circuit as

shown below. Note that the ends of two of the wires are not
touching. What do we call such a circuit?
open circuit
. Draw the circuit diagram for the circuit shown in the sketch in
the space on the right of the. sketch.
Sketch 3ircuit diagram
. Test that the circuit is connected properly by touching 1 and

2 to each other and making sure that the bulb lights up/
. Take the first one of the objects in the list above. Put the
object between the two wire ends at 1 and 2.
. The sketch below shows how to do it. Make sure there is good
contact between the object and the wire ends.
Make sure learners only touch the ends of the wire to the object
and do not touch the object themselves with their hands while they
are completing the circuit, to prevent breaking the electric circuit.
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Test each object as shown here with the nail.
. Does the bulb light up or not? Write the name of the object in
the left or right column of the table below, depending if the
bulb lights up or not.
. Repeat for all the other objects in the list.
Some objects are composites of conductors and insulators. The
visually different parts should be tested as well. 5or example, a
knife may have a plastic handle, so test the handle as well as the
metal blade.
R4SULTS 1ND O2S4RV1T8ONS:
Record your results below

.
2ulb lights up 2ulb does not light up
. .
. What do the objects that lit up the bulb have in common?
1ll the objects that lit up the bulb are made of metallic
materials. The lead core of a pencil (graphite) also conducts
electricity. Some metals are better conductors than others.
. What do all the objects that did not light up the bulb have in
common?
They were all made from non-metals, such as plastic, wood,
glass, ceramics, etc
Some metals are better conductors than others. 8f the bulb does
.
not light up with some metallic objects, it might be that the current
is very small. Try an L4D in this case to show that there is a current.
2e careful! Remember that an L4D only conducts in one direction.
8t should be connected correctly in the circuit: positive terminal of
the L4D connected to the positive terminal of the battery.
3ON3LUS8ON:
Write a conclusion for this investigation below.

Metals conduct electricity and non-metals do not conduct.
8f the circuit is closed, the bulb lights up. We have learnt before
that in such a case there is an electric current in the circuit. 1
material that allows a path for an electric current is called an
electrical conductor. The material conducts electricity.
QU4ST8ONS
. . What type of materials did not light up the bulb?

mostly non-metallic materials
. 1lthough the circuit seems closed, the bulb did not light
up. What does that mean?
There is not an electric current in the circuit.
8n this case the path for the electric current is broken. We call a
material that does not allow a path for an electric current an
insulator.
. 6ood electrical conductors and

insulators
1 good electrical conductor is a material or substance that allows
an electrical current to pass through it easily. We call the ability to
conduct conductivity. 4lectrical conductors are usually metal
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because metals generally have high conductivity. 3opper is one of
the best electrical conductors and this is why it is the most
common material used for electrical wiring. 6old and silver are
even better conductors than copper, but they are very expensive
and only used sometimes.
8nsulators are non-conducting materials that do not easily allow

current to pass through them. This does not mean that current can
not pass through them at all. 5or example, we generally consider
air an insulator, however, lightning can cause electric current to
pass through air. Similarly, rubber gloves and shoes will protect
you from mains electric current, but not from lightning. 4xamples
of insulators are plastic, rubber, and wood.
When two conducting materials make contact, electricity can pass

through them. Our bodies are also good conductors of electricity.
This means electric current can easily flow through you and into
the 4arth, giving you a shock. That is why we cover conducting
wire with insulating materials (like the plastic around extension
cords). We want to protect ourselves from being shocked, and
prevent the electrical current from passing to other conductors.
The importance of electrical insulators

Think of the electric wires that you use in class for the activities.
Why do you think they are covered in plastic? The plastic is an
insulator and therefore prevents you from getting a shock. The
plastic coating acts as a barrier that prevents you from getting a
shock, allowing you to handle the wire when the circuit is on.
4lectrical insulators are

also used in other places.
7ave you ever looked up
at power lines or
telephone lines? You will
see that the poles that
carry the lines are
sometimes made of
wood. Wood does not
conduct electricity so the
electric current can
therefore not get from
the wires into the pole. The wooden poles and white ceramic caps
are electrical insulators.
Sometimes you will also see little white or coloured caps holding
the wires as in the photo below. These caps are made of ceramic
which also does not conduct electricity.
. .
Sometimes, it is especially
important to have
ceramic electrical
insulators between two
different metal
conductors to prevent
electric current from
flowing between the
different parts such as in
the photo below.
3an you see the dark red-brown ceramic
electrical insulators?
You can also point out the electric rings in the photo which are
also electrical insulators and a further precaution.
QU4ST8ONS
.Do you remember naming the different parts in a bulb? Look at

the picture of a bulb again below and explain why you think the
piece separating the electric metal pins (conductors) is made
of glass.
The glass is an insulator and therefore prevents electric current

from flowing through the bottom of the electric pins and not
through the coil at the top. With the glass insulation, the
electric current rather flows through the coil at the top which
then heats up and produces light.
4lectricians are people whose job it is to work with electricity and

fix the wiring in houses and other buildings. 4lectricians often wear
rubber gloves to protect themselves from getting a shock. Rubber
is an electrical insulator.
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.
R4V8S8ON:
. Suppose you have found a piece of material. You are not sure
what the material is. You want to find out if it is a good
conductor or a good insulator. Describe in words what you
would do to determine if the material is an electrical
conductor.
Set up an electric circuit as was done in the investigation with
a battery, a bulb, and electric wires. Two ends of the wire must
be unconnected so it is an open circuit. Test the
object/material by placing it between the two ends of the
wires to complete the circuit. 8f the material is an electrical
conductor then the bulb will light up.
. What is the difference between an electrical conductor and
insulator?
1n electrical conductor allows electric current to flow through
it (it will complete an electric circuit) and an electrical
insulator does not allow electric current to flow through it (it
will not complete an electric circuit).
. What kinds of materials are used
. to make electric wires?
What are the functions of the materials?
1 metal such as copper is used to make the inside of the wire
as copper conducts electricity. The copper wire is covered in a
material such as plastic which is an insulator to protect people
handling the wire and also prevent the wire from making an
electrical connection with other metal objects.
. Why are insulators important?
8nsulators protect people from electric shock; in some cases
from possible death. 8nsulators also protect appliances from
damage.
. List five insulating materials.
• 6lass,
• plastic,
• wood,
• ceramics,
• rubber,
• chalk,
• paper,
• cardboard, etc
. Look at the owl sitting on the pole below. Why does it not get
an electric shock from the powerlines?
. .
1n owl perched on a pole
The pole is made of wood which does not conduct electricity

.
and there are ceramic caps between the power lines and the
pole which act as further insulators.
. The man in the following picture is setting up an electric
generator. Why is the man wearing gloves while he does this?
Why is he also wearing boots with thick rubber soles?
This man is wearing gloves.
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7e is wearing gloves made of material and rubber as they are
electrical insulators and therefore protect him from getting an
electric shock when handling. electrical wires and appliances.
The thick soles on his shoes also prevent an electric current
from passing through him and into the 4arth.
.K4Y 3ON34PTS
• Some materials allow electric current in them. They are

called conductors.
• Some materials do not allow electric current in them. They
are called insulators.
• Metals are usually conductors and non-metals are usually
insulators.
• 4lectrical insulators have important functions like insulating
wires or protection from electrical shock, e.g. an
electrician's rubber gloves.
. .
Systems to solve problems
.K4Y QU4ST8ONS
. .• ..7ow
. can we use electric circuits to make useful devices and
appliances?
• What happens to energy when we use electrical devices
and appliances?
This unit is mostly application of what has been learnt before.

Develop some of the science process skills: observe, design,
evaluate and communicate. 8n order to develop thinking and motor
skills, give the learners a project to build a model of a house that
includes electrical wiring.
. Using electric circuits

4lectric circuits are used all around us, for example in lights in our
New Words
. homes, streets and shops. Let us imagine our world of today
• system without electricity!
• energy transfer
13T8V8TY: 1 world without electricity
Let the learners work in groups of - . There are no specific right

or wrong answers here, except if the responses do not have
anything to do with electricity. The learners are giving their
perceptions and opinions. The activity provides a starting point for
learning about the use of electric circuits.
.
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. Write a short paragraph of what our world would be like

without electricity.
. Describe the three things that will be the biggest disaster for
you if there was no electricity.
. Would there be any advantages of not having electricity?
Discuss this with your classmates and write your answer
below.
. Your group should now compare the advantages and
disadvantages of electricity. What is the group's conclusion, a
. down your group's reasons for
yes or no for electricity? Write
saying yes or no.
4lectric circuits are often used to solve a problem where we need

energy. 1 battery or mains supply is a source of energy. The
energy is transported to a device or an appliance using electric
wires. The device or appliance dissipates the energy. The effect
could be light, sound, heat or movement. 8n other words, the
device gives off energy in the form of light, sound, heat or
movement.
1 system is something that consists of different parts working

together to form a whole. 8n an electric system, there is an input
(energy) and an output (resulting in light, heat, movement, or
sound). Let's look at some examples of electric systems where we
use the output energy to do something useful.
4nergy is transferred or dissipated, not transformed. 4nergy is

defined as the capacity to do work, so it does not change from one
form to another, but it can be transferred.
13T8V8TY: 4lectric circuits influence our lives
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. Look at the photos or sketches below.

. Name the appliance or device.
. Say what it is used for and what the energy is transferred to
(light, sound, heat or movement)? 8n some cases it might be
more than one thing!
.
Name:
Use:
4nergy transferred from
energy to
. .
3hapter . Systems to solve problems
Name:
Use:
energy to
Name:
Use:
energy to
.
Name:
Use:
energy to
Name:
Use:
energy to
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4nergy and 3hange

Name:
Use:
energy to
Name:
Use:
energy to
Name:
.
Use:
energy to
Name:
Use:
energy to
. .
Name:
Use:
energy to
Scalectrix
. Name:
Use:
energy to
This is quite a long activity with many examples, but it leads into
the Technology Project a bit later where learners have to use an
electric circuit to produce light, movement, sound or heat. This
activity will act as a stimulus for ideas for the project.
4ach of the examples in the previous activity uses an electric

circuit to provide us with energy where we need it, whether it is
light on the street, sound for our radio, or heat in a building. Or
even in some toys and models such as a car racing game, or model
electric train set! We can say that electrical appliances can solve
problems for us. They are able to transfer electricity so that
another useful form of energy is released.
New Words
. . 2e an electrical engineer or technician
• engineer
1t this point learners have learnt adequate concepts related to

electricity to give them a Technology Design project to do. They
can work individually or in teams of - . 8deally though, each
learner should design and make their own system to fully engage
with the task. Learners will apply what they learnt by first
...
4nergy and 3hange

discussing, designing and drawing a plan of how to use a circuit to
produce movement, light, sound or heat. 8t is generally more
difficult to produce heat energy using cells, but this can be
explored by learners if they feel they are up to it. Then they will
implement their design and make the structure and then present it
to the class. 3ommunication is a vital skill and forms part of the
Technology Design Process. 3ommunication can be written or
verbal, but in this case learners must verbally present their designs
to the class. The model that learners build need not be to scale.
Possible designs include a steady hand game, a house (encourage
them to have more than one room or a doorbell system), a
lighthouse, or some type of toy which produces sound or
movement. 4ncourage learners to use everything that they have
learnt about electric circuits and include different components,
such as switches.
Let's say you want to become an electrical engineer or electrician.
One of the things that you will be doing is to design systems that
use circuits to solve problems for people, whether it is the wiring in
a house, an alarm bell, a lighthouse on the coast, or constructing
toys which use electrical energy to work.
Wow, 8 would love to be an

electrical engineer!
13T8V8TY: Design, make and present a system using a

circuit
D4S86N 2R845:
.
You are an electrical engineer and you need to come up with a
design for an electrical system to solve a problem. You need to
design and make a system that uses a circuit to produce
movement, light, sound or heat. Write a Design 2rief where you
identify what you are going to make and why it needs an electric
circuit.
. .
8NV4ST861T4:
The next step in the Design Process is to do some research about

the instrument that you are going to make. You can use books and
the 8nternet to do your research.
1nswer these questions when doing research about your electrical

system:
. 7ow is this system normally made?
. What components does it need?
. What type of energy will be produced from electrical energy?
. Why do people need this system? What problem does it
solve?
D4S86N:
Now that you know a bit more about the system you want to make
you need to design how you are going to make it.
Your system has the following specifications:
• The system must make use of an electrical circuit.

.
• The system must produce either movement, sound, light or
heat.
• The circuit must make use of some of the components that
you have learnt about, such as batteries, light bulbs, switches,
buzzers, wires, etc.
• Your system must make use of a switch to turn it on and off.
Your system has the following constraints:
• You must make it in class.

• You cannot get an adult electrician to design your project for
you! You must come up with your own design.
• Your system is not life sized, but must be a model.
1nswer these questions:
. What materials will you need to make it? 5or example, which
electrical components will you need? Which other materials
will you need, such as a cardboard box to put the system in,
adhesive tape or Prestik, drawing pins, or paint to paint the
box?
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4nergy and 3hange

. What tools will you need to make it? Such as pliers to cut the
wire, scissors to cut cardboard. Make a list and collect some
of these items from home, or else ask your teacher if he/she
has any.
. 7ow many batteries will you need for your circuit?
. Where will you place the switch? What type of switch are you
going to make?
Now you need to draw some designs for your system. Use scrap
pieces of paper to do your first designs. Once you are happy with
your design, use the space below to draw your design. Label your
drawing showing what materials you are going to use for the
different parts.
When you are making your system you might get better ideas to
improve the design as you test it out to see if it produces the
required output. So come back afterwards and draw on the
bottom half of the page; show what you really decided to make.
M1K4:
Now make your system! 1fter you have all finished making your
systems, perhaps go around and look at what others have done.
1sk each other questions to see what
. you can learn from others.
You will also have to present your project to the class so use this
time to get ideas about how to present your idea and product that
you made.
4V1LU1T4:
2efore we get on to presenting the projects, you need to evaluate

your own project. You can then use this evaluation in your
presentation to show others what worked and did not work.
. Does your system look like your initial design?

. Does your system produce a movement, sound, light or heat?
. Where would people use the system you designed to solve a
problem in our daily lives?
. 8s there anything you might do differently to improve your
design?
3OMMUN831T4:
1n engineer needs to be able to present their designs to show

others what they have come up and communicate their ideas.
4ngineers can present a written report and hand in their design
drawings. 2ut, often an engineer will need to present the design
and project by speaking and giving a verbal report.
. .
Your last task in this Design project is to present your system to
your class.
These are your instructions:
. Present an oral report to the rest of the class to tell them

about the system that you built.
. You must have your system with you in the front of the class
and show how it works.
. You must explain the electric circuit that is used and what
type of energy is produced.
. Tell the class how your system could be used by people and
why they might value your design. 5or example, could it be
used in a house by people or. maybe it could form a new toy
on the market?
. Lastly, tell the class what you learnt by doing this project and
anything that you found tricky or difficult or that you might
change if you had to do it again.
4ach learner must be assessed for the actual system that they built
and their designs, drawings and planning. 1nd each learner must
be assessed in the way that they present their project orally. Pay
special attention to the learner's ability to project their voice and
engage with the class, their ability to explain what they have done
and whether they answered all the questions outlined in the
instructions above.
We have now seen how to

make simple circuits and use
a circuit to do something for
us but how do we get
electricity in our homes,
school and shops?
Let's find out!
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4nergy and 3hange

R4V8S8ON:
. Name five things that we would not be able to do without

using electricity. 4xplain why you think each of these things is
important to us.
Learner dependent answer. 3heck that they have justified why
each is important.
. 9ojo builds an electric circuit that includes a bulb and battery
for his bedside table so that he can read at night, but the bulb
does not light up. List three things that could be wrong.
The battery could be placed the wrong way, the battery is flat,
there is a break in the connection somewhere, one of the
wires is not connected properly. or is broken, the bulb may
have `blown', meaning the filament inside the bulb is broken.
. 9ojo does not want the battery in his bedside light to run out
of energy. What could he do?
7e can include a switch to turn it on and off to save the
battery.
. List three electrical devices that use energy from a battery.
Torch, cellphone, walkman, etc.
. List three electrical devices that use energy from a mains
supply.
Microwave, stove, iron, hairdryer, fridge, etc.
. Draw an electric circuit diagram for the system that you
designed and made in the Design Project.
.K4Y 3ON34PTS
• 4lectric circuits solve problems like getting electric lighting

for example.
• There are many instances in the world around us where
electric circuits are used, such as street lighting, alarms,
electric gates, traffic lights, fans and heaters, some models
and toys.
. .
Mains electricity
.K4Y QU4ST8ONS
. .• ..Where
. does mains electricity come from?
• What are fossil fuels and how did they form underground?
• Why should we save energy and how can we do it?
• Why are illegal electrical connections so dangerous?
• What is the difference between renewable and
non-renewable energy resources?
This unit lends itself to searching for information, pictures,

simulations and videos on the 8nternet, in the Library, in magazines
and books. The basic information about the main topic is provided
here, but teachers and learners should explore the topic further.
We are so used to switching on electrical appliances that we hardly

think what makes it possible to have these things. Our focus turns
to appliances that need a mains electrical supply. You have listed
examples like a television, a computer, a kettle and many others
before.
The big question here is "Where does mains electricity come

from?"
. 5ossil fuels
New Words
• fossil fuels 1 battery has stored energy which can provide electrical energy.
• coal 7owever, our homes, schools, shops and factories cannot run on
• oil .
• natural gas batteries because they cannot store or provide large amounts of
• power station energy. We use electricity every day. The main supplier of
• turbine
• generator electrical energy is from power stations. We call this `mains
• renewable electricity'. Power stations also need a source of energy to make
• non-renewable
electricity. 8n South 1frica, this is mostly from fossil fuels.
What are fossil fuels?

3oal, oil and natural gas are fossil fuels. Some people think that
fossil fuels are the remains of dead dinosaurs but this is not true!
1ctually, most of the fossil fuels we find today were formed
millions of years before even the first dinosaurs. 5ossil fuels were
once alive!
QU4ST8ONS
.Do you remember learning about fossils in 6r. 4arth and

2eyond? Write down what you think a fossil is.
1 fossil is the remains of a dead organism (plant or animal)

from millions of years ago.
So fossil fuels are actually the remains of prehistoric organisms

that lived millions of years ago!
Wow, that's amazing! So the

coal we burn was actually a real
tree millions of years ago?!
VISIT
7ow fossil. fuels are
Yes, that is right 9ojo. 2ut different fossil fuels come from different made
organisms and formed in slightly different ways. goo.gl/rxiVG
13T8V8TY: Let's take a trip back in time, millions of

years ago!
This activity is meant as a comprehension for reading appreciation.

8deally the learners should read the text themselves and then
answer the questions that follow. The ability to read a lot of text,
.
identify the main facts, and then answer questions or summarise
text is an important skill.
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
• Read the text below about how fossil fuels were formed and
study the pictures
• Then answer the questions that follow.
. .
3hapter . Mains electricity
million years ago...
Think about what the 4arth must have looked like back then! There
were swamps and marshes everywhere and it was warmer than it is
today. 1ncient trees, ferns and plants grew everywhere. Very weird
looking animals roamed the earth, and even stranger looking fish
lived in the rivers and deep in the oceans and seas.
1n ancient, prehistoric world
When these prehistoric plants and animals died their bodies their
bodies decomposed just in the same. way as organisms
decompose today. The dead organisms became buried under
layers and layers of mud, rock, sand and water. Over time, these
layers built up and became very deep and they pushed down with
a great pressure on the layers below it.
Millions of years passed, and the dead plants and animals slowly
decomposed and formed fossil fuels. Different types of fossil fuels
were formed depending on different factors. 5or example, whether
it was the remains of plants or animals or a combination and how
long the remains of the organisms had been buried for. The type of
fossil fuels that formed also depended on the temperature and
pressure conditions during the decay of the organisms.
Oil and natural gas
Oil is a dark, thick liquid that can be used to make petrol to burn in
vehicles, such as cars, buses and trucks. Natural gas is colourless
and it is used mostly in homes for heating and cooking food.
Oil and natural gas formed from organisms (plants and animals)
that lived in the oceans before there were dinosaurs. When these
organisms died, they settled on the bottom of the river bed or
ocean floor and the layers built up under mud and sand (silt). The
mud and sand slowly changed into rock and the rock and water
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pressure pushed down on the remains of the dead plants and
animals.
Trilobites Limulus
3eratodus 1mmonoids
Over millions of years of being under heat and pressure, the dead
plants and animals changed into a thick liquid, called crude oil. 8n
deeper, hotter places tiny bubbles of natural gas formed. These
were trapped under the rocks.
Over time, some of the oil and natural gas began to work its way up
through the rock and to the 4arth's crust and into rock formations
called 'caprocks'. Today, most of the oil and natural gas is collected
from these caprocks by drilling down through the layers of rock.
. .
Coal
3oal is a black rock that can be burnt to produce energy in power

stations all over the world.
3oal was formed from the dead remains of trees, ferns and some
other plants that lived to million years ago. This was
when the 4arth was mostly covered in swampy forests. These
kinds of plants were very different to the plants that we get today.
Over time, the layer of dead plants at the bottom of swamps was
covered with layers of water and mud. The top layers squashed
down on the dead plants. Over millions
. of years the heat and
pressure turned the plants into the coal that we mine today.
5erns were very common in the Much of the 4arth was covered in
prehistoric world of plants. swamps millions of years ago.
The energy in coal originally comes from energy from the Sun.
Plants on 4arth used the energy of the Sun for photosynthesis and
to grow. This energy was stored in the leaves, flowers and stems of
the plants. 1s the plants died the energy was trapped.
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4nergy and 3hange

QU4ST8ONS:
. What are the three fossil fuels discussed in the above story.
coal, oil and natural gas
. The organisms that fossil fuels were formed from lived many
years ago and are different to the organisms that we get
today. 7ow many millions of years ago was this?
million years ago
. The dead organisms are covered in sediments over time. Do
you remember learning about sediments in 6r. 4arth and
2eyond and how sedimentary rock forms? Write a description
of what sedimentation is.
Sedimentation is when particles . (either sand, rock, or organic
material) settle on the bottom of a river or the ocean floor and
over time form layers which begin to compact.
. What are the two main factors which turned the remains of
organisms into fossil fuels deep under the layers of rock and
mud?
high pressure and heat
. 4xplain why we say that all our energy originally comes from
the sun, even in fossil fuels.
The organisms that fossil fuels are made from lived millions of
years ago. The plants used the Sun's energy to make food by
photosynthesis. When they died this energy was trapped in
the plants' remains which then turned into fossil fuels. The
animals that ate the plants got their energy indirectly from the
Sun through the plants. When these tiny animals died, the
energy was also trapped in their remains which became fossil
fuels.
. Do you remember learning about the states of matter in
Matter and Materials. 4ach of the three fossil fuels discussed
here is a different state of matter. Say what they are.
coal - solid, oil - liquid, natural gas - gas
. The process of coal formation and natural gas and oil
formation have similarities, but also differences. Draw a table
where you compare these two processes. 6ive your table a
heading.
. .
Possible answers:
1 comparison of the process of coal formation, and natural
gas and oil formation (different fossil fuels)
Oil and natural

3oal formation
gas formation
Millions of years
ago that the
million years
organisms died to million years
start forming fossil
fuels
Organisms from
Plants (trees, ferns Tiny plants and
which fossil fuel is
and other. plants) animals
formed
Place where
Water - mostly
organisms lived Swamps
oceans and rivers
and died
Layers that
remains were Sand, mud, water Sand, silt, water
covered in
5actors which
7igh pressure and 7igh pressure and
contributed to
VISIT heat heat
formation
5ossil fuel .formation State of matter of Oil - liquid, Natural
Solid coal
(video) fossil fuel formed gas - gas
goo.gl/y04lH
The way we obtain the different fossil fuels is also different. 3oal is
usually obtained by digging mines into the rock and sand to reach
the coal deposits deep under the surface. This creates a huge hole
in the surface of the earth as you can see in the photograph of a
mine.
1 coal mine 1n oil rig in the ocean which sinks a

drill into the ocean floor to reach
the oil deposits
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4nergy and 3hange

Oil and natural gas is obtained by drilling down through the rock.
1 hole is sunk with a huge drill so that the oil and natural gas can
be reached and then brought up to the surface. This normally
takes place in the ocean, as you can see in the oil rig in the photo.
QU4ST8ONS
. . Search the 8nternet to find out which countries in the

world have large quantities of coal, oil and natural gas.
. Search the 8nternet to find out which three countries in
the world use the most fossil fuels.
So we have spoken about fossil

fuels and energy, but how do we
then get electrical energy from
fossil fuels?
That is a great question 9ojo! 1 good scientist always asks

questions!
5ossil fuels and electricity
The main supplier of electricity in South 1frica is 4SKOM. 4SKOM

uses mainly coal to produce energy for industrial and household
use.
Let's look at a power station to find out how coal is used to

produce electricity.
Look at the diagram and the steps which outline the process to
make electricity from coal:
. 3oal is transported from a coal mine to a power station.

. 1t the power station, the coal is ground into a fine powder
(pulverised).
. The ground coal then goes into a container where it is burned.
. .
. The heat generated from the burning coal is used to boil
water in a huge boiler.
. The boiling water produces steam that turns a turbine (a
turbine is a big wheel which turns).
. The turbine is linked to a generator which uses a coil to
produce energy.
. 5rom the generator the electric current is transported
("carried") by a system of electrical transmission lines (also
called power lines) and substations to our homes.
The process of making electricity from coal in a power station
13T8V8TY: Make a poster to trace the source of our

electricity
M1T4R81LS:
• poster size paper or cardboard

• colour pens or pencils
.
8NSTRU3T8ONS
. Design and make a poster for your classroom on which you

illustrate the chain of objects and processes that allow us to
use an appliance in our homes (such as a television set, stove
or refrigerator).
. Start with a picture or drawing of the Sun in the top left
corner and end with the appliance in the bottom right corner
of the poster.
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4nergy and 3hange

. Use arrows to show the sequence of objects and processes.
. Label each object or process on your poster.
. Decide on a heading for your poster and write it in big letters
at the top.
.
The sequence should be something like sun → plants and animals
→ fossil fuels (coal) → power station → electricity → delivery to
home on power lines → TV (or other appliance).
5ossil fuels are non-renewable resources of energy. This is because

they take millions of years to form. Once these fuels are burnt,
they cannot be recovered or reused. They are non-renewable.
1 learner's conception of `millions of years' might not be well

grounded. 5ossil fuels are not renewable because we use them up
far quicker (in a few centuries) than they can form (millions of
years). This point will be lost if learners can not distinguish
between hundreds and millions. This should be addressed by the
teacher to focus on meaning of hundreds and millions.
People on 4arth are using up these deposits of fossil fuels much,

much faster than they are being made as they take millions of
years to be made! Look at the diagram of a power station again.
Do you see the smoke that is given off when the coal is burnt? This
causes huge environmental concerns as it is polluting our
atmosphere. 1 bit later in this chapter we will look at other ways of
producing energy which, unlike fossil fuels, are renewable.
New Words
.
. 3ost of electricity • infrastructure
• expensive
• kilowatt
Do you hear your parents and other adults talk about the cost of
living? Do they remind you to switch off lights and other
appliances that are not in use? 4lectricity is an expensive resource!
1 learner might make the reasonable point that the coal is burnt
anyway, whether you leave that light on or not. 2ut, the point is to
show that cumulatively, saving electricity can have an effect on
reducing demand on power stations, and it also reduces the
amount that your individual household spends on electricity if you
use it efficiently.
. .
Why is electricity expensive?
4lectricity is costly because:
• The production and delivery of electricity requires

DID YOU KNOW?
infrastructure (the structures and facilities) like coal mines,
The burning of coal trucks and trains to transport coal, power stations,
produces billions of substations and wiring.
tonnes of carbon
. • 1ll of these buildings, structures, materials and processes are
dioxide each year.
very expensive to build and maintain.
3arbon dioxide is one
of the greenhouse • Some electrical appliances require a lot of energy, much more
gases that contributes than others. 5or example, a geyser uses a lot of electricity to
to global warming. heat the water and so it becomes expensive.
When electrical energy enters your home, it must pass through a

meter. 7ave you ever seen a white box outside your house? This is
the electricity meter. 1 worker from the city council reads the
meter so that they will know how much electricity you used. They
then bill you for the cost. The more electricity we use, the more we
pay and the more we use up fossil fuels. Some houses now have
pre-paid electricity meters where you pay for your electricity
before you use it.
This is an electricity meter. 3an you see the number recording the
electricity usage in kilowatt hours (kWh)?
Running electrical appliances

We already mentioned that some electrical appliances use more
electricity to run than others. 1ppliances that heat use the most
energy, such as a geyser or heater. 7ow do we know which
electrical appliances use more electricity?
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4nergy and 3hange

.
13T8V8TY: 4nergy required by electrical appliances and

devices
This could be an individual task, each learner should look for this
information so that they become familiar with looking for ways to
save energy.
This is how we find out!
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. 5ind the appliances or devices listed in the table. 8f you do not

have them in your home or school, ask family, friends or
neighbours if you could look at theirs.
. 7ave a look at each appliance and check for a label with
information like the one below. This information is usually at
the back or the bottom of the appliance.
V- V; 7z; kW
. Record the number that is followed

. by a W or kW on the label
in column of the table. This number indicates how much
energy is required by the device in a certain time. 8t is called
the power required by the device. We measure power in watt
(W) or kilowatt (kW). The higher the value the more energy
the device uses in a specific time.
Make the link between the unit W and kW where a kilowatt is
watts. Similarly, metre (m) and centimetre (cm) and gram (g) and
kilogram (kg). 1s well as metre and millimetre (mm) and ampere
(1) and milliampere (1).
. 1dd any other three appliances or devices to the list.
. Record all the power values in column in watt. 8f the power
is given in kW, multiply this number by to get the value
in watt (W), for example:
kW × = W
8f the device does not show a value in W or kW, look for two
quantities given in volt (V) and milliampere (m1). Multiply
these two numbers and then divide the answer by to get
the power in watt, for example:
V× m1 =
÷ = W
. .
You divide by to correct for using m1 instead of 1.
Power (W) = voltage (V) × current (1)
Teacher note: The values in the table are not exact, but the order
of magnitude should be similar.
1ppliance or
Power in W or kW Power in watt (W)
device
3ellphone charger V and m1 W
4lectric kettle kW W
Television set W W
Light bulb (old

W W
type)
4nergy saving
W W
light bulb
3omputer V and m1 W
4lectric iron . kW . W
Now arrange the appliances in the next table in terms of the power
required. The list should be from small to large values of the power.
1ppliance or device Power in watt (W)
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QU4ST8ONS:
. What do you see in this table? Which two appliances have the
lowest power requirements? What do these appliances have
in common?
Possibly the cellphone charger and energy saving bulb. They
.
are small and only require a small amount of energy to work.
The bulb is built specifically to use less energy.
. Which two appliances have the highest power requirements?
What do these appliances have in common?
Possibly the kettle and iron (or any other heating device): they
are used to produce heat which uses a lot of electrical energy.
Saving electricity
9ust when 8 am ready to run

outside, my mom often makes
me come back to turn my
bedroom light off.
6ood for her, 9ojo! 4lectricity is expensive so we should try and

save electricity.
QU4ST8ONS
.This is not the only reason to try save electricity. Remember

when we spoke about the pollution given off by coal power
stations? Why else do you think it is important to try save
energy and reduce your power usage?
The burning of coal in power stations produces carbon dioxide,

a greenhouse gas, which contributes to global warming. 8f
enough people reduce electricity usage in their homes, this
will reduce the demand on coal power stations, meaning they
have to burn less coal, which will in turn have less of an
environmental impact.
. .
There are many different ways to save electricity, from small
actions, to larger actions, such as using renewable energy
resources. We will discuss this a bit later in the chapter.
QU4ST8ONS
.7ow can you prevent wastage of electricity in your home?

Name four possible ways.
Use energy saving light bulbs, install a solar water heater,

switch off all electrical devices that are not in use, and use as
little hot water as possible.
. 8llegal connections
We discussed a world without electricity and we all realised how
dependent we are on this resource. 8t is illegal for anyone to use
electricity that was generated by 4SKOM without their permission.
Some people make illegal connections because they don't want to
pay for the electricity. They cut through the insulation in a power
line and attach other cables to this line. They can then direct some
electricity to their house or workplace. These connections are
dangerous to people as they are often unsafe.
People who make illegal connections try to get electricity for free
but the dangers are not worth it. 8t is not worth your life!
Look at this mess of illegal electrical connections.
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4nergy and 3hange

4lectricity and safety
1ccidents caused by electricity happen all the time. People often

get hurt or even killed by electricity because they do not use it
safely. Not only is it important to know how to use electricity safely,
but also what to do if someone is hurt or shocked by electricity.
QU4ST8ONS
. . What types of emergencies can happen at home or at

school with electricity?
Someone could get a shock on a plug or exposed wire,
someone could put an electrical appliance in or near water
and get a shock, there could be a power outage and
when someone is trying to fix the problem, they could get
. shocked, etc
5ind out about the emergency services in your area and
write down their names and telephone numbers. 1lso
write this information on a piece of paper and stick it to
the wall next to your phone or in a central place in your
home.
3onsider inviting an electrician to talk about electricity and safety

to the class.
1ccidents with electricity can be avoided. We just need to be
smart about working with electricity. Let's formulate some safety
rules for working with electricity.
13T8V8TY: Safety rules when working with electricity!
This was done in 6r. , but it is a good idea to revise it again as

electrical accidents often happen in the home and at school.
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
.
. Look at each of the following pictures.
. 4ach one shows someone doing something with electricity,
and often the person is doing something dangerous!
. 1nswer the questions about each of the pictures.
4lectricity does not flow. 4lectric current flows. 2e careful of

introducing misconceptions here.
. .
QU4ST8ONS:
. The person in the illustration above is using a table knife to

remove a coin that has fallen in the toaster before switching
off the appliance. What are the dangers related to this act?
The person can get shocked as electricity can pass from the
toaster, through the metal knife and through the person.
. What safety rule can you formulate
. regarding this?
5irst turn the toaster off and unplug it and use a wooden or
plastic knife.
. Why is this an unsafe cable to use ? 3ircle the area that
makes it unsafe.
. What could be done to the cable to make it safe to use?

Replace the cord, or else wrap insulation tape around the
broken cord. 7owever, this will not prevent a short if the wires
inside also have perished insulation. 8t is best to replace the
cord.
. What safety rule can you formulate regarding this?
Never use an appliance that has a broken cord or has some of
the metal wire showing through the cord casing.
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4nergy and 3hange

. Why is it dangerous to pull the boy from the electric wire?
4lectric current can flow from one person to the next, so you
will also get shocked.
. What can the helper do to save the boy without being
shocked by the electricity?
Use a non plastic/non metal object to separate them from the
electrical source.
N4V4R try to pull someone who is being shocked away from
the appliance.
. Why is this not a safe place to play?
7igh voltage fences can shock you even if you stand near
them without actually touching them, or you might
accidentally bump against the fence.
Never play near to or on electric fences or power lines.
. Why is this connection dangerous?
Too much electric current flowing to one plug is dangerous.

One multi-plug adapter is safe, but do not put adapters into
each other. Rather use different plug points.
Teacher's note: The real danger is that overloading the plug
causes heating of the circuit which can result in fire.
Never put too many appliances into one socket.
. .
. Why is it dangerous for the children to play outside during the
lightning storm?
8f this powerful natural electricity strikes close to you, it will try

to get to the ground through you. Our bodies are good
conductors of electricity.
. Why should no one play under a tree when it is storming?
The lightning is attracted to high points such as a tree and can
shock the tree and also kill anyone underneath it.
. 4xplain why it is not a good idea to be swimming when there
is lightning in the sky?
Lightning could strike the water. Water with dissolved
substances, such as salt or chlorine, is a good conductor of
.
electricity and you can get shocked, and possibly die if you
are swimming.
. What safety rules can you formulate regarding lightning?
Do not play outside when there is thunder and lightning.
. Why is the gardener unsafe when mowing the lawn in the
rain? 6ive at least two reasons.
Water is able to conduct electricity, so you can get a shock if

you are touching an appliance and water drips into the socket,
cord or motor. Secondly, he is not wearing shoes which is
dangerous as he could cut himself and the current can flow
through him and into the 4arth.
. What safety rules can you formulate regarding using electrical
appliances outside in the garden?
Never use electrical appliances outdoors in wet weather or if
you are wet. Wear shoes when using electrical appliances.
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4nergy and 3hange

. Renewable ways to generate electricity New Words
We have seen above that fossil fuels are non-renewable resources • renewable
energy
of energy. resources
.
• non-renewable
energy
resources
• solar
• hydroelectric
QU4ST8ONS • geothermal
• electrical power
.What do you understand by the word 'non-renewable'?
This means it cannot be renewed, reused. There is a finite

supply which will be used up one day.
So, if we are using an energy resource which is non-renewable,

then this will be a problem in the future when these resources run
out. 1re there other sources of energy?
Scientists and engineers are looking for ways to harness energy

from renewable resources. 1 renewable resource is the opposite to
VISIT
a non-renewable resource. 8t will not run out and can be used over.
. energy
Renewable
Renewable energy sources include natural phenomena such as (video)
sunlight, wind, tides and plant growth. The energy comes from goo.gl/wKyHB
natural processes that happen over and over.
QU4ST8ONS
.Why do you think natural phenomena such as sunlight and

wind can be considered as renewable?
This is because the sunlight and the wind will not `run out'.
They are not used up or depleted in our time line. They will
always be present on 4arth (at least for a time frame relevant
to human existence - the sun might extinguish one day in the
far future, but this is not relevant when thinking of a renewable
resource).
This is another place to speak of orders of magnitude. These

resources are available so long as the solar system lasts in its
current form, roughly . billion years they say. So these are
renewable because they will always be available to us as a species
even if we last a few million years more (having only really been
around about years or so).
. .
4xamples of renewable energy resources are:
• solar (energy from the sun),

• wind,
• ocean (tides and waves),
• hydropower (waterfalls or fresh water dams),
DID YOU KNOW? • biomass (energy from plants and other organic material), and
• geothermal (energy from steam underneath the surface of the
The first windmills earth).
were developed in
.
Persia in about
2.3. 2ut, the first
windmill to produce
electricity was in
Denmark in .
Wind turbines use wind to generate electricity.
Sun, wind and water can be used

as sources of energy. Solar
panels can be fitted to houses
but this source of renewable
energy works best on sunny
days, and is less effective on
cloudy days. Wind energy can be
collected with a windmill or
VISIT
wind-turbine which can be big
.
Wind energy (video) and noisy. 7ydroelectric power
goo.gl/XthW5 stations harness the energy in
water stored in high dams. 8t is
only possible in areas where
there are high mountains and 1 water wheel uses the flow of
rivers. water to push the wheel around
which can then do work.
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4nergy and 3hange

DID YOU KNOW?
Solar panels, also
called photovoltaics,
convert sunlight
energy to produce
electrical. energy.
There are also solar
water heaters, but this
is a different system
1s the water flows through this Solar panels to solar panels. Solar
large hydroelectric power station heaters directly heat

from the higher dam to the lower water.
dam, electricity is made.
13T8V8TY: Renewable versus non-renewable energy
Learning how to debate is an important skill. 1fter doing this

activity, you could practise debating skills in the class by getting
two groups to discuss opposing sides of the story. 4ach group
must understand that they have to justify an argument for each
side of the debate.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and

non-renewable sources? There is a lot of debate around the use of
renewable and non-renewable sources for energy. Let's join this
debate! . DID YOU KNOW?
South 1frica has large
8NSTRU3T8ONS: reserves of. uranium
which are used in the
. Work in groups of four. Koeberg nuclear
. Discuss whether your house uses renewable or non-renewable power station.
sources of energy.
. Does anyone in the group have solar panels at home?
. Think about the advantages and disadvantages of renewable
and non-renewable sources. You can use the 8nternet or other
information sources to check for more ideas here.
. Write some of your answers in the spaces below.
. Report back to the class and see what others think about this
debate.
. .
1dvantages Disadvantages
Renewable
Non-renewable
VISIT
.
7ow hydroelectricity
works (video)
goo.gl/j6Oz1
8f time permits, learners can do a mini research project on one of

the renewable energy resources and present a poster in which they
answer questions such as, `7ow is this renewable energy resource
harvested and used to produce electricity?', `8s this resource used
in South 1frica?', etc. These can be stuck up as posters in the
classroom for others in the class to read and learn from.
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4nergy and 3hange

That is all from me
for 4nergy and 3hange!
9oin Sophie next to learn more

about our planet 4arth
and outer Space!
.K4Y 3ON34PTS
• Most of our electricity comes from fossil fuels such as coal,

oil and natural gas.
• 5ossil fuels are the remains of dead plants and animals from
millions of years ago.
• The energy in fossil fuels originally comes from the Sun
which was captured by the plants that lived millions of years
ago.
• 4lectricity is expensive due to the infrastructure required to
produce and deliver it.
• 5ossil fuels are non-renewable meaning they will run out.
• We should try to be energy-efficient and not waste
electrical energy.
• 8llegal connections pose a huge threat to people as they can
be unsafe.
• There are other resources which are renewable and can
be used to generate electricity, such as wind power, solar
power and hydropower.
. .
.
R4V8S8ON:
. Look at the flow diagram below. Describe what it is showing

using what you have learnt in this chapter.
The Sun produces energy which plants capture and use to

make food through the process of photosynthesis. 1nimals
eat the plants. When these prehistoric plants and animals died
millions of years ago, their remains were turned into fossil
fuels (such as coal, oil and natural gas) over a long time. This
was due to being covered in .layers of sediment of mud and
water which over time turned into rock and exerted a great
pressure and heat on the remains. Today, these fossil fuels are
mined and collected from inside the 4arth's crust. Oil is
processed to make petrol and diesel and the energy from the
fossil fuels is used, for example in cars, where it is burnt and
the energy released powers the cars.
. Why are fossil fuels considered non-renewable resources?
This is because there is a limited supply of fossil fuels which
will run out one day as we are using fossil fuels faster than
they are made (which takes millions of years). They cannot be
reused.
. Write a paragraph in which you explain why you think humans
should investigate alternative energy sources, such as
renewable energy sources and how this might help the 4arth.
Learner dependent answer, but assess whether learner has the
ability to present an argument and justify their reasoning. One
of the reasons which learners could present includes the fact
that our reliance on non-renewable energy resources is not
sustainable and poses a problem for the future if they run out.
5urthermore, burning fossil fuels has a severe environmental
impact as the carbon dioxide released contributes to
greenhouse gases and global warming.
...
4nergy and 3hange

. What type of electrical appliances in our homes use the most
energy in a specific time?
This depends on the activity and usage, but the most energy
will probably be used by heating devices such as a geyser or
heater.
. 8magine that you are writing an article for your local
newspaper on how to save electricity in your homes. Use your
imagination to write your article telling people how to save
electricity. Use the space below. 6ive your article a catchy
heading.
1ssess learner's ability to write creatively about a science
related topic. They are required to use the knowledge they
have learnt in this chapter to write something creative. Tips to
save electricity could be turning off lights when not in the
room, using energy saving lights, reducing shower time to use
less hot water, turning off the geyser during the day, using a
gas stove instead of electrical stove, and bigger actions such
as installing solar power, etc.
.
. 7ow do you think saving electricity will reduce the demand
on 4SKOM's power stations?
The more electricity you use, the more coal needs to be
burned at the power stations to produce electricity. Saving
electricity means that you use less electricity so there is less
demand on the power stations.
. What is an illegal electrical connection? 7ow do you think the
local government could stop or reduce the amount of illegal
connections?
1n illegal connection is when someone accesses electricity by
cutting a power line and attaching another line and then not
paying for it. The local government could try stop this by
firstly trying to supply the poorer areas with appropriate
electricity access points, going around and checking that
there are not any dangerous connections, raising awareness
about the dangers of illegal connections through advertising
boards, on radio, in the newspaper, etc. 1ssess any other
viable answers that the learner may come up with.
. .
.
.
The solar system
.K4Y QU4ST8ONS
. .• ..7ow
. can we tell the difference between a star and a planet?
• What are asteroids?
• What is a moon? Does the Moon produce its own light?
• 3an we see the Moon during the day?
Do you remember that in 6r. we looked at Space and the objects

found in Space? Last year, in 6r. we mostly looked at 4arth and
the features of 4arth. Now we are going to explore Space a bit
more! 2efore carrying on, let's refresh our memories on some of
the things about Space from 6r. .
13T8V8TY: Wordsearch about Space.
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. 5ind the following words in the wordsearch.

. Draw a circle around each word.
. When you find the word, discuss with your partner what you
remember about this word from 6r. .
• space
• gravity
.
• astronomy
VISIT
• orbit
The birth of. our solar
system • rotate
goo.gl/yDya6 • moon
• axis
• galaxy
• sunrise
• sunset
• star
. The Sun, planets and asteroids
Do you remember what a solar system is? Our solar system is
made up of the Sun and the planets. Let's take a look!
What is the Sun? New Words

• asteroid
The Sun glows so fiercely that it is not safe to look straight at it, • furnace
even though it is so far away. The Sun is a ball of gases. • core .
• wander
• object
The temperature at the centre of the Sun is about • observatory
• record
degrees 3elsius! The surface is about degrees 3elsius. That • astronomer
is extremely hot! 3an you see the explosion from the surface of the • gravity
Sun in the picture?!
VISIT
3omparing. the sizes
of planets and the Sun
goo.gl/3XlOi
DID YOU KNOW?

The Sun is about
million kilometres
from 4arth. and the
3an you see the big burst of gas from the Sun in the bottom left?
next nearest star to us
after the Sun is over
The Sun is a star, because it produces its own energy. The Sun million million
appears bigger and brighter because it is much nearer to 4arth kilometres away.
than the other stars.
The Sun is about times bigger than the 4arth and about
times bigger than the Moon! The Sun is much further away than
the Moon from the 4arth. The Sun produces light and heat. The
heat warms the surface of the 4arth.
Study the image of the Sun, and then answer the questions that
follow in the activity below.
. .
3hapter . The solar system
This image shows the different layers of the Sun.
13T8V8TY: The core of the Sun
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. Look at the picture of the Sun showing the different layers

inside.
. 1nswer the questions.
QU4ST8ONS:
.
DID YOU KNOW? . Which is the hottest part of the Sun?
The hottest part of the Sun is the core, that is, the middle,
When the Sun has
white part.
changed all its
. The Sun's energy comes from gases being squeezed together
hydrogen into helium
until hydrogen turns into helium. Where do you think the
.
and other substances,
gases are squeezed together the hardest?
it will begin to die. 2ut
in the core
we need not worry,
. What are the dark spots on the surface of the Sun called?
because that will
sunspots
happen million
years from now.
...
4arth and 2eyond

3ome with me! We are going to
hear a story about the planets.
8t's a bit of science, maths and
history all mixed up!
Planets
The following pages contain a lot of text and not much in the way
of activities and writing. This is intended to be told as an
interesting story to your learners. Read through this together. 6et
learners to read different parts at different times. 1s you are going
through it, ask the class different questions, such as "Do you know
the names of any constellations?", "3an you remember the names
of all planets?", "Do you know the names of any other 6reek
philosophers?" (4.g. Socrates, Plato, 1ristotle). This can also be
used as revision to remind learners about what they learnt in 6r.
about the solar system.
Long, long ago, people watched the stars at night. Shepherds

looking after sheep and cattle would lie down and look at the night
sky. People in hot regions like Mesopotamia (now 8raq) slept on
the roofs of their houses. They had plenty of time to look at the
stars. They knew the patterns of stars in the sky and how the stars
moved across the sky during the night. The patterns were fixed
(they did not change). 5or example, you can find a pattern like the
Southern 3ross if you look up towards the South. You can see it in
the first photo below. The second photo with white lines helps you
to see the 3ross. 8t always looks the same because the stars are
always the same distance apart.
This pattern of stars is the Southern The white lines are not really in the
3ross. The pattern does not change. sky, they just show you how to view
the Southern 3ross.
. .
Patterns of stars are called constellations. The next image shows
some other famous constellations of stars which you can see in the
night sky.
Some constellations of stars making up patterns in the sky
People noticed that some bright objects did not behave like the
others. These objects are close to a star one night and then the
next night, at the same time, the object has moved away from the
star. Night after night, these objects appear in new positions
among the stars.
The 6reeks of those times called these objects "the wanderers"

VISIT
because they were in a slightly different position each night. The
.
The Wanderers 6reek word for wanderer is "planetes" and so we get the 4nglish
(movie) word "planet". 1 person who wanders is someone who walks
around wherever he feels like going.
The planets were a science puzzle
People who study the stars are called astronomers. The planets
were a puzzle for ancient astronomers. Why did they move
differently to the stars? Were they just as far away as the stars?
Why were they brighter at some times of the year than at other
times?
...
4arth and 2eyond

You can see the planet Venus just after the Sun has set. Venus is usually
very bright. 1t some times of the year, you have to look for Venus in the
dark sky where the Sun will rise.
The ancient peoples gave names to the planets. 5or example, Mars
was named after the god of war. One planet was so beautiful that
they called it Venus after the goddess of love and beauty. DID YOU KNOW?
1 system is a set of
You can see Mars at some times of the year. Mars is orange-red, parts that work
and at most times it looks smaller than Venus. 8t is not as easy to .
together. 1ny change
find as Venus is; sometimes you have to look late at night to see or movement in one
Mars rising in the east. part causes changes
in the other parts.
7ow astronomers solved the puzzle
Over hundreds of years,

astronomers set up
observatories in places like
8ndia, 4gypt, 8raq, 4ngland
and countries in 4urope. 1n
observatory is a building that
has permanent measuring
marks. These marks are
always in the same position.
The astronomers make notes
of where stars and planets are
compared to these fixed
positions, and they note the
7ypatia was an astronomer and
dates and times. mathematician at the University
of 1lexandria in 4gypt. She lived
about years ago. 3an you
see the globe next to her?
. .
Over many years of careful
observing, the astronomers
kept records of where the
planets moved. They used
maths to predict where a
planet would be on a future
date. Then, on that date, they
went to check if their
prediction was correct. They
became very good at
measuring, doing maths and
doing calculations with big
numbers.
1ncient astronomers making
observations
So they worked out that the planets are closer to us than the stars,
and that the planets are moving around the Sun. Then they
realised that 4arth is a planet too, and it is moving around the Sun!
This idea upset some people who believed that the 4arth was the
centre of the universe and that everything moved around the 4arth.
VISIT
Nowadays we know exactly where each planet in our solar system
The solar. system is at any time, and we can actually send spacecraft to the planets.
(video)
goo.gl/c32vA The Sun together with the planets moving around it is called the
solar system. You will learn about that next.
The solar system
The solar system consists of the Sun and all the planets that orbit
around it. 8t also includes asteroids and the planets' moons.
VISIT
The birth. of the 8n the first image, you can see a diagram of the solar system. 8n the
planets second image in the next activity, you can see another diagram of
goo.gl/Nr0eL the solar system. 2oth these diagrams try to show you what the
solar system is like.
...
4arth and 2eyond

DID YOU KNOW?
. to be
Pluto used
classified as a planet.
The solar system consisting of the Sun and planets
2ut not anymore.
8n the solar system, each object's force of gravity pulls on all the
other objects. 6ravity is a force of attraction between objects. The
Sun is the biggest and heaviest object in our solar system and so it
exerts the greatest force of gravity on all the planets. This force of
gravity makes all the planets move in circles around the Sun.
VISIT
The names of the planets in our solar system are Mercury, Venus,
.
4arth, Mars, 9upiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Mercury is the Why isn't Pluto a
planet closest to the Sun and Neptune is the planet furthest from planet anymore?
the Sun.
QU4ST8ONS
. . 4arth is the third-closest planet to the Sun. 5ind 4arth in

the picture.
. 3ould the planets really be as close to the Sun as the
picture shows? 6ive some reasons for your answer.
No, they are not really this close. Reason : 1 person on
4arth would see the Sun filling half the sky, but we know
that the real Sun looks quite small in the sky. Reason : 1ll
the water on 4arth would have evaporated and all living
things would burn up.
. .
.
13T8V8TY: Looking at the solar system from far away in

Space
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. 8magine you are in a spacecraft very far from the 4arth. You
can see the planets all moving around the Sun in orbits, like in
the picture. The white lines in the picture show the path that
each planet follows when orbiting the Sun. These orbits
(white lines) are not actually visible.
. Look at the picture and answer the questions.
QU4ST8ONS:
. Which planet is the closest to the Sun?

Mercury
. 8s Venus or 4arth closer to the Sun?
Venus. The learners can see this if they follow the orbit of
Venus and 4arth with a pencil. Tell the learners to compare
this diagram with the previous one and use the information
they have already got above, about the order of the planets.
This teaches learners that textbooks provide information in
different places because they cannot provide all information
in the same place.
...
4arth and 2eyond

. Write the names of the planets in order, beginning from the
one that is closest to the Sun.
Mercury, Venus, 4arth, Mars, 9upiter, Saturn, Uranus and
Neptune. Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun and
Neptune is the planet furthest from the Sun.
. Which planet do you think is the coldest, and why?
Neptune. 8t is the furthest away
. from the Sun.
. Why do the planets all keep on moving in orbits around the
Sun? DID YOU KNOW?
The force of gravity between the Sun and each planet keeps The word "solar"
them moving in their orbits. The Sun is so big and heavy that .
comes from a Latin
it can exert a force of gravity that pulls even the furthest word "sol", which
planet, Neptune, into its orbit. means "sun".
Let's now use our bodies to create a model of how the planets
move around the Sun!
13T8V8TY: Make a model of two planets moving around

the Sun
This is a demonstration, using two learners at a time. One learner

must run with the ball to get it moving in a circle. You need plenty
of room; at least a clear -metre-diameter circle. The long string
helps to give learners the correct idea that the 4arth's orbit is at a
very great radius from the Sun. Plan this to happen at the start or
end of a period, because the learners take time to move outside.
This activity was also included in the 6r. workbook to show
revolution of the planets around the Sun. 8n 6r. , it is also
important for learners to understand that not only do planets
.
revolve around the Sun, but they also rotate on their axis. 1fter
doing this activity, also get one learner to stand in the centre as
the Sun and hold several pieces of string, or you the teacher can
do this. Several learners then hold the ends of the strings and
spread out and walk around the teacher/learner in the middle.
They are now revolving. 1s they are revolving, ask learners to now
also spin as they are revolving. 4xplain that they are now also
rotating as planets rotate on their axis at the same time that they
are revolving around the Sun.
M1T4R81LS:
• strong string about metres long

• another strong string about metres long
. .
• two balls in plastic bags
• eight thick rubber bands
• a small chair or a box like a plastic milk crate
8NSTRU3T8ONS (Part One):
. Tie the four elastic bands onto the handles of the plastic bag.
Then tie the string onto the four elastic bands. Put one ball
inside the bag.
. You are going to do as you see in the next picture.
. Someone must run with the ball in the bag to help you get it
going.
. Then swing the ball around as fast as you can, on the end of
the string.
. The rest of the class must watch the plastic bag carefully to
see whether the rubber bands stretch.
. You see the learner in the picture swinging the ball around
himself. The learner represents the Sun and the ball
represents the 4arth.
. Take turns to swing the ball; feel how hard you need to pull on
the ball to keep it going around.
. The people who are watching will see the rubber bands
stretch. This means that the ball is pulling on the string, and
the string is pulling on the ball.
.
QU4ST8ONS:
. What does the learner who is swinging the ball represent?

What does the ball represent?
The learner is the Sun and the ball is the 4arth.
. What do you feel is happening to the elastic as you swing the
ball?
You will feel the string pulling on your hand.
. 8f the ball in its bag could feel, what would it feel?
The ball will feel a force pulling on it equal to what the hand
feels.
...
4arth and 2eyond

. 8f the string breaks, in what direction will the ball carry on
travelling? Draw an arrow on the picture to show the direction
the ball would carry on moving in.
6ive learners time to think about this, and commit themselves
to an answer. The answer is that the ball will continue
travelling in the direction it's going at the moment the string
breaks. Learners can test this answer by letting the string go.
. The ball represents the 4arth. The learner swings it quite fast,
but how long does the 4arth really need to go once around
the Sun?
8t takes the 4arth one year to orbit the Sun.
8NSTRU3T8ONS (Part Two):
. This part is more difficult and it needs some practice. You are
still making a model of planets moving around the Sun.
. Use the -metre string and tie it onto a bag and ball as you
did before.
. 8n the picture you see one learner standing on a stool and
swinging another netball in a bag.
. The first learner now has to walk around the stool to keep his
ball moving.
. This might take some time to get it right!
Two learners must now swing balls at the same time. This is quite tricky!
QU4ST8ONS:
. Which part of this model represents the Sun?

The two learners together represent the Sun.
. Which part of the model represents planet 4arth?
The first ball on the -metre string represents 4arth.
. Which part represents planet Venus?
The second ball on the -metre string represents Venus.
. 8n this model, when 4arth revolves around once, how long a
period of time does that represent?
8t takes one year.
. .
The planet 4arth orbits around the Sun in . days and we call
that one year. 1s 4arth moves to new positions around the Sun, we
have four seasons: summer, autumn, winter and spring, and then
summer comes again.
DID YOU KNOW?
The planet Venus Now in Space, the 4arth keeps on going around the Sun at more
.
orbits around the Sun than kilometres every hour. 7owever, there is no string
in . days. Those pulling on the 4arth, so what keeps it moving?
are . 4arth days.
The force of gravity pulls the Sun and the 4arth towards each other.
There is no string in Space between 4arth and the Sun! The 4arth
would move away, but the Sun "traps" the 4arth with its much
greater force of gravity. The Sun pulls on the 4arth and the 4arth
pulls on the Sun with the force of gravity. The pull is so strong that
it works at a distance of million kilometres! Like the string,
force of gravity keeps the 4arth moving in its orbit around the Sun,
year after year.
8t does the same for the other planets too. The force of gravity
pulls the planet Neptune into its orbit even though Neptune is
times further away from the Sun than 4arth is.
QU4ST8ONS
.8n the model in the previous activity, what does the string
represent?
The string represents the force of gravity between the Sun and
a planet.
We visit the eight planets
The four inner planets are rocky.
Look at the picture below of the solar system again. The planets
closest to the Sun are called the inner planets of the solar system.
They all are made of rock; some of them have a thin layer of gas on
the outside. 4arth has a very thin layer of water and soil too.
...
4arth and 2eyond

These are the inner rocky planets. This shows their sizes compared to
each other. 3an you name them?
The next image shows us what the core of each of the rocky
planets looks like. The core is the inner part of the planet and it is
made up of different layers.
The core of each of the four inner rocky planets of our solar system.
QU4ST8ONS
. . 6ive the names of the four inner, rocky planets by looking

at the pictures above.
The learners must work it out from the figure. The skill
is interpreting the picture below and the text above.
Mercury, Venus, 4arth, Mars
. Name the three layers of the rocky planets. 7int: They
are each given a different colour in the image above.
crust, mantle, core
The four outer planets are gas giants.
These planets are very far from the Sun. They don't have a hard
surface that a spacecraft can land on. 8nstead, they are giant balls
of very cold gases. 1stronomers think that these planets have hot,
solid cores, deep down inside them.
. .
VISIT This diagram shows the different sizes of the planets. 3an you see how
much bigger the outer gas giants are?!
. to the
8ntroduction
planets (video)
goo.gl/gcQ7w This next image shows us what the inside of the gas giants is like.
There are also different layers of gases.
The four gas giants, showing the gases which make up these planets
QU4ST8ONS
. . 6ive the names of the four outer, gas planets by looking

at the pictures above.
The learners must work it out from the picture. 9upiter,
Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
. 6ive the name of one of the gases that make up the gas
planets.
The gas planets are made up of hydrogen, helium or
methane.
...
4arth and 2eyond

Let's now take a closer look at each of the planets.
Mercury is closest to the Sun, and the smallest planet. 8t has no

atmosphere and its grey surface is marked with thousands of
craters. 1 crater is the mark that we see where a rock has crashed
onto a planet or a moon.
DID YOU KNOW?

Venus alternates
every days
between being an
. and a
"4vening Star"
"Morning Star", in
other words shining
brightest just after
sunset, or just before
3an you see all the craters on the surface of Mercury?! sunrise.
Venus is second closest to the Sun. 8t is almost the same size as

4arth. To us, it looks white and it shines brightly in the evening or
morning.
Venus shines brightly like that because it is covered in a thick cloud

of gas. 8t would be horrible to breathe the atmosphere on Venus,
because the gas is mostly carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid!
DID YOU KNOW?

The atmosphere
.
The temperature is
absorbs lots of
about °3 on the
heat from the Sun
surface of Venus!
and does not cool
down at night.
Venus is the
hottest planet in
our solar system.
Venus rising next to the Moon.
. .
VISIT
. This beautiful image of
Video on Venus
Venus was created from a
goo.gl/1V0m7
whole lot of photographs
taken by N1S1 over
years, put together to
make a single image.
QU4ST8ONS
. . 1t what temperature does water boil?

degrees 3elsius
. Zinc melts at about °3, so what would zinc look like
on the surface of Venus?
8t would be a liquid.
Then we reach 4arth - the blue planet, our home in Space. You
know a lot about 4arth already. 4arth has its Moon that we know
well. The Moon moves in its orbit around the 4arth.
VISIT
. of 4arth
The wonders
This image is from a satellite tracking a hurricane moving over 4arth's
(video) surface. 3an you see the hurricane? 8t appears as the white swirl of cloud
goo.gl/aqaDr on the picture.
...
4arth and 2eyond

Next furthest out is Mars, the red planet. We know quite a lot about
Mars. Many spacecraft have been sent to Mars to take photographs
and some spacecraft even landed to take samples of the soil.
We cover some extra information on Mars because the learners

need to search for information when they carry out a case study of
the Mars rover in Unit .
Mars needs almost two 4arth years to complete one orbit around
the Sun, so if you lived on Mars you would have to wait a very long
time for your birthday. Mars spins like the 4arth, and a day on Mars
is almost the same length as a day on 4arth. 1 day on Mars is
called a sol.
VISIT
. the
Rock around
World
3an you see the long, darker mark across the goo.gl/Q1dHu
surface of Mars? This is a deep valley.
This planet is further from the Sun than 4arth, and for this reason it
is very cold. 8t has a thin atmosphere but this atmosphere is mostly
carbon dioxide gas. 7umans cannot breathe that atmosphere.
The surface is mostly sand and rocks. The sand is full of iron oxide,
which is the same substance as red-orange rust. 5rom 4arth we
see Mars as a small red-orange dot in the sky, because of the
colour of the soil.
This is a very recent photograph of the surface of Mars, taken in by

the rover called 3uriosity. 3an you see all the rocks?
. .
There are some very big valleys on Mars. Valleys are caused by
erosion when water flows downhill, so we can make an inference
VISIT that there was a lot of water on the planet long ago. 8f there was
. N1S1
1 video from water, perhaps there were living things on Mars too. 2ut we cannot
about the surface of be sure. Scientists have sent another spacecraft to look carefully at
Mars the rocks and sand. The spacecraft is called 3uriosity and it will try
to find signs of living things in the ground.
VISIT
. This is a closer view of the valley you saw on the surface of Mars. On
N1S1 video on Valles
4arth, valleys like this are caused by water. Did Mars have water long ago?
Marineris
QU4ST8ONS
.Mars is smaller than 4arth and if you went there, your weight
would be only about a third ( ) of your weight on 4arth.
. 8f your mass is kg on 4arth, you weigh newtons

(N). 8f you went to Mars, what would you weigh?
newtons ÷ = N. So the answer is N. Show
this calculation on the board and explain how to do it.
8n fact, your weight on Mars would be , % of your weight
on 4arth. We have rounded the number to simplify the
calculation. 8f learners query this then you can show them
the following calculations:
,
newtons × = . newtons
. Would you feel heavier or lighter on Mars?
You would feel much lighter on Mars!
Now we have to go very far from the Sun, times further than
4arth is from the Sun. We begin to see the gas giants, which are
the four outer planets. These gas giants have no solid surface we
could land on. They are huge balls of gas and if we came close we
would fly through clouds of cold gases.
...
4arth and 2eyond

9upiter is the first gas giant we come to, and it is the biggest of all
the planets. 5rom 4arth we see it shining white but close up, its DID YOU KNOW?
colour is light pink-brown. 8t is bigger than all the other planets put 2efore we can get to
together. 9upiter, we have to
pass safely. through
the asteroid belt. You
9upiter is a huge ball of gases
can read about the
such as hydrogen, with clouds of
asteroid belt further
ammonia. Winds blow from east
down this page.
to west on 9upiter's surface, and
they blow at the speed of jet
planes. The surface is very cold,
DID YOU KNOW?
and some of the gases are so
cold that they have become You will read about
liquid or solid. .
6alileo in 3hapter .
7e was the first
Deep inside, 9upiter may have a person to see the
very hot core of rock. 9upiter moons of 9upiter.
has four big moons, and sixty 9upiter, showing the swirling
smaller ones. light pink and brown colours
on the surface.
8f we now go even further into Space, to double the distance we

VISIT
went to reach 9upiter, we reach the planet Saturn. Saturn is almost
.
as big as 9upiter but it has a light yellow colour. 8t is mostly gas 1 video on 9upiter
and it has rings of rock spread out and spinning around it. Saturn goo.gl/T0rhi
has about moons.
DID YOU KNOW?

Saturn isn't the only
planet with rings. The
This image is an artist's
other gas. giants,
drawing of the 3assini
9upiter, Uranus and
spacecraft approaching
Neptune also have
the planet Saturn and its
rings - they are just
magnificent rings.
less obvious.
Then we get Uranus, a smooth blue-green ball of gas, with almost

no marks and shapes on it that we can see. 8t has more than
moons.
. .
The blue globe of Uranus shown here with of its major moons.
Now we are more than times further from the Sun than 4arth is,
and we see the last planet, Neptune. Neptune is also a ball of gas
and looks like Uranus. 8t has about moons, and possibly more.
Neptune has a very 'stormy' surface. 8mages of the planet often
show huge storms and winds.
Look at this close-up of the surface of Neptune. 3an you see the stormy
surface? These are the darker blue and white spots.
...
4arth and 2eyond

The following activity tests comprehension skills. 8t is a good idea
to read through the text together and then allow learners to go
back and read it by themselves when looking for the answers.
13T8V8TY: 3omprehension on the planets of our solar

system.
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. We have read a lot about the planets in our solar system.

. Use all the information and images in the previous pages to
answer the following questions.
QU4ST8ONS:
. Name all the planets in order starting from the one closest to
the Sun.
Mercury, Venus, 4arth, Mars, 9upiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus
. What are the inner planets known as?
The inner, rocky planets
. What are the outer planets known as?
The outer planets are known . as the gas giants.
. Which planet is the hottest?
Venus is the hottest planet.
. On which planet do scientists think there might have been
water long ago? Why?
On Mars, because there are valleys on the surface which look
like they have been made by water erosion.
. Which planet has a "stormy" surface?
Neptune has a stormy surface.
. Venus also has an atmosphere like 4arth, but we would not be
able to breathe there. What gases make up the atmosphere
on Venus?
carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid
. 2elow is an image showing the temperatures of the planets.
Mercury is the closest to the Sun, but Venus is actually hotter
than Mercury. This is because of the dense atmosphere of
Venus which acts like a greenhouse and traps the Sun's
energy in the atmosphere. Use the image to give the
temperatures of 4arth, 9upiter and Neptune.
. .
.
The temperatures of the planets
4arth: 3
9upiter: - 3
Neptune: - 3
. Which is the biggest planet in our solar system? What colour
is it?
9upiter, pink-brown
. Which planet is blue-green in colour?
Uranus
. Saturn has rings around it. What are these rings made of?
. Draw a picture of Saturn in the space below.
...
4arth and 2eyond

1steroids
What a strange word - asteroid! 7ave you heard this word before?
Maybe when we mentioned the asteroid belt?
Let's find out what they are!
The asteroids are lumps of rock from planets that broke up long
ago. Some of the lumps are bigger than a school building and
some are only as big as small stones. They orbit around the Sun
and so they are travelling very fast. Some of them are travelling as
fast as kilometres every second. That is much faster than a
bullet.
DID YOU KNOW?

Many scientists
believe that an
asteroid hit. 4arth and
caused the extinction
of the dinosaurs
This is a photo of the asteroids 8da and 6aspra. around million
8da is the bigger one and is km long. years ago.
The asteroids have gathered together in a ring in the solar system.

This ring is called the asteroid belt.
. .
.
13T8V8TY: Where is the asteroid belt?
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. 5ind the asteroid belt in the picture below.

. Write out the whole sentence below and complete it.
. Use some of the words from the box.
Word box
• Mars
• 9upiter
• Venus
• pieces of rock
• in orbit
• the Sun
1steroids are that move around the Sun. The

asteroid belt is in Space between the orbit of and the
orbit of .
Pieces of rock, in orbit, Mars, 9upiter
...
4arth and 2eyond

8n , Pioneer was the first spacecraft to travel to 9upiter. To
get there, Pioneer had to go through the asteroid belt. Do you
remember how fast asteroids are moving? 8f an asteroid had hit
Pioneer , the spacecraft would have been destroyed and
smashed to pieces. 7owever, Space is a very big place and the
asteroids are usually far apart. Pioneer got through safely and
went on to take the first close-up photos of 9upiter.
1n artist's painting of the Pioneer spacecraft near

9upiter after it was the first to cross the asteroid belt.
. Moons
You know from the section on planets that other planets have New Words
moons. • reflect
• crater
• .
volcanoes
4arth's Moon •
•
lava
compare
• measure
Let's begin with 4arth's Moon. You learnt about 4arth's Moon in 6r. • record
• surface
. So what do we already know about 4arth's Moon?
13T8V8TY: Let's revise what we learnt in 6r. about the

Moon.
QU4ST8ONS:
.
. Does the Moon make its own light? 4xplain how the Moon
gives us light at night.
The Moon does not have energy like the stars to make its own
light; the Moon is like a white wall that reflects light from the
Sun, and the 4arth gets some of that light.
. .
. 3an we see the Moon during the day?
Yes, on some days. 2ut if they are unsure, don't give them the
answer. Let the learners debate this or vote on it, and then
agree to go and observe. They might have to look every day,
for up to two weeks, before they see it.
. Does the full Moon look bigger when it rises at supper-time,
and then smaller when it is high in the sky?
8f they disagree on this, tell them that they can do an
investigation - see below.
. Why does the Moon sometimes look like a letter D or a letter
3? .
We see only the part that the Sun is shining on. They learnt
this in 6r. workbook.
. 8s it easier to see the stars when the Moon is full or when it is
not full?
8t is easier to see the stars when the Moon is not full.
. Why do we sometimes see the new Moon looking like this, in
the next photo. The Sun is almost behind the Moon, so where
is the light coming from?
The light on the Moon is coming from the 4arth; the 4arth is
reflecting the Sun's light.
Only one side of the Moon

in this photo has light on
it. Where is this light
coming from?
...
4arth and 2eyond

.
13T8V8TY: 3ompare the Moon with the 4arth
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. Work with a partner or in a small group.

. Look carefully at the picture and answer the questions.
The Moon and the 4arth - showing the difference in size
QU4ST8ONS:
. List all the differences you can see between the 4arth and
Moon.
The 4arth is bigger than the Moon. The Moon has craters, but
few craters are still visible on 4arth (due to wind and water
erosion).
The 4arth has water in seas, the Moon has none; 4arth has
areas where green things are growing - there are none on the
Moon; clouds on 4arth, but none on the Moon.
. List some differences that you know about, even though you
can't see them in the photos.
The 4arth has plants and animals, but there aren't any on the
Moon. 4arth has an atmosphere, but the Moon does not. The
Moon gets very hot and then very cold; 4arth's temperatures
stay in a range where things can survive. You are heavier on
the 4arth than you are on the Moon.
Many people say that the full Moon looks bigger when it rises just
after sunset, and then looks smaller late at night. 8s this true? Let's
do an investigation to find out.
. .
The following investigation needs to be carried out on a night
when the Moon is full. 3ome back to it at a later time in the month
if you have to wait awhile and carry on with the rest of the content
in the meantime.
8NV4ST861T8ON: Does the Moon look bigger when it

rises than when it is high in the sky?
18M (What you want to find out):
7YPOT74S8S (What you think will happen):
1PP1R1TUS:
• You need to know the date when the Moon will be full.
• a piece of wire shaped like a V (you can make this from a
paper clip)
• a ruler
M4T7OD:
. 9ust after sunset on the right date, look for the rising Moon.
. When you see it coming up behind some trees or buildings,
hold out your width-measure as you see in the picture below.
.
7old your width-measure at arm's length.
. 2end the wires until the points (the tips) of the wire touch the
sides of the Moon. You must keep your arm straight while
you measure the Moon. 3an you think of the reason why?
...
4arth and 2eyond

The arm is part of the measuring instrument, because it is an
unchanging length! 8f the child moves her hand closer to her face,
the V-shaped measure will give smaller measurements.
. 6o inside and use a ruler to measure how far apart the tips of
the width-measure are.
. Record your measurement in millimetres.
. 6o outside again about two hours later and measure the
width of the Moon a second time. Remember to keep your
arm straight while you measure.
. 3ome inside and use the ruler again. Measure the distance
between the tips on your ruler again.
. Record your measurement in millimetres.
R4SULTS 1ND O2S4RV1T8ONS:
Width of the Moon when it was touching the trees: mm
Width of the Moon when it was high in the sky: mm
7ow could you have done this investigation

. better?
Most of them will find that the measurements are the same. Some
learners will have made mistakes and will say that the high Moon
was smaller, so you can ask for a show of hands - "who found that
the measurements were the same at : and : p.m.?" Now in
science, ideas cannot be tested by majority vote. 8n science, just
one careful investigation can undo a majority opinion. 8f other
people can investigate the idea and get that same measurement,
then an idea can be changed or confirmed. You can ask the class
to go and repeat the investigation tonight. The Moon will still be
full, but will rise about minutes later.
3ON3LUS8ON (What you learnt):
Write down a conclusion about what you learnt from this

investigation.
They should learn that in science we want to test ideas to find out
whether they are true or not. 8f we measure things, we can
sometimes be more certain of the truth.
The Moon has a pale grey surface with dark grey marks on it.
Nobody knew what the surface was like until spacecraft landed on
the Moon. The first astronauts to walk on the Moon stepped into
fine, powdery dust. They collected rock samples (small pieces) to
bring back to 4arth.
. .
The surface of the Moon is covered with holes called craters. These
DID YOU KNOW? craters are made by space rocks that hit the Moon. These rocks
The footprints from may be as small as grains of sand or as big as a house. They travel
the astronauts who so fast that they explode when they hit the Moon, and they make a
. on the
first walked round hole.
Moon are still there!
There is no wind on
the Moon to blow
them away.
The footprint of the first person to The surface of the Moon - can you
ever stand on the Moon see all the craters?
The light-coloured areas on the Moon are mountains, and the

DID YOU KNOW?
darker areas are plains. Some of these plains were made by huge
1 spacecraft a few space rocks that made craters km wide. Other plains were
years ago found signs made by volcanoes on the Moon a long time ago. Lava* flowed out
. under
of water frozen from those volcanoes. Nowadays the Moon has no volcanoes.
the south pole of the
Moon. Scientists are The Moon has no air so there is no wind to blow the dust. The
not sure how the Moon has no water, so there is no rain to wash away sand and
water got there. cause erosion. That is the reason why we see the craters on the
Moon so clearly.
Moons of other planets
Other planets have moons, too. 2elow is an image showing some

of the moons in our solar system. Not all of them are shown here.
They have been scaled to be the correct size compared to 4arth
and our Moon.
Mars has two moons, and astronomers called them Deimos and
Phobos. Phobos has deep craters showing that it has also been hit
by fast-moving rocks. 3an you see how small these moons are
compared to our Moon?
On the other hand, 9upiter has moons which we have identified,

and each time humans send another space probe to 9upiter, more
moons are being discovered! Only 9upiter's biggest moons are
shown below.
...
4arth and 2eyond

VISIT
Quick tour.of planets
and their moons
Some of the moons in our solar system
goo.gl/nSwf8
13T8V8TY: Moons in our solar system

8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. Look at the picture above of the moons in our solar system.
. 1nswer the questions below.
QU4ST8ONS:
. 7ow many moons does 4arth. have?

4arth has one moon.
. What are the names of Mars' two moons.
Phobos and Deimos
. 6ive the name of one of 9upiter's moons.
8o, 4uropa, 6anymede or 3allisto
. Pluto is not actually a planet anymore, but it has been
classified as a dwarf planet. Pluto also has moons. 7ow
many of Pluto's moons are shown in the picture?
Only one of Pluto's moons are shown.
. .
. There are two planets which are not listed here as they do not
have any moons. Which two planets are these?
Mercury and Venus .
. What is the name of Saturn's biggest moon?
Titan
.K4Y 3ON34PTS
• The Sun is at the centre of our solar system.

• Planets move in orbits around the Sun.
• Planets cannot produce their own light; they reflect light
from the Sun.
• 1steroids are rocks that move in orbit around the Sun. They
are very much smaller than planets.
• Most of the planets have moons. 1 Moon is a body which
orbits around a planet.
...
4arth and 2eyond

.
R4V8S8ON:
. The table below is a comparison of planets and stars. 3hoose

sentences from below and write them under the heading
'Planets'. Match your sentences about planets to the
sentences about stars.
Stars Planets
Stars are very hot balls of Planets do not make their
gas that give out light and own light; they reflect the
heat. light from the Sun.
We can see thousands of
We can see only other
millions of stars with a
planets in our solar system.
telescope.
Stars are very, very far away Planets are not as far away
from us. as stars.
Stars do not orbit around Planets orbit around our
our Sun. Sun.
Planets change their
The stars seem to stay the . positions each night,
same distance apart always. compared to the positions
of the stars.
Sentences to select from:

• Planets do not make their own light; they reflect the light
from the Sun.
• We can see only other planets in our solar system.
• Planets change their positions each night, compared to
the positions of the stars.
• Planets are not as far away as stars.
• Planets orbit around our Sun.
. 8f you wanted to find Venus, where would you look? 1t what

time would you look?
Venus can be seen in the west, just after sunset. Sometimes it
is visible in the morning, so then you would look in the 4ast at
sunrise.
. People call Venus the evening or morning star. 4xplain why
Venus is not a star.
Venus appears in a slightly different position each evening at
: p.m, or each morning at sunrise.
. .
. 7ere are two sentences about the solar system. The
sentences have been broken and the parts are mixed up.
Work with a partner to sort out the parts. Then write out both
sentences in your book.
• The solar system is
• the Sun.
• The Sun and all the planets
• a set of parts that
• pull on each other.
• the planets move around
• pull on each other as
The solar system is a set of parts that pull on each other. The
Sun and all the planets pull on each other as the planets move
around the Sun.
. What made the craters on the surface of the Moon?
Rocks that travel through Space, called meteoroids. They
crash into the Moon at very high speeds.
. The surface of the Moon has many craters but the surface of
the 4arth has very few craters. . 4xplain why that is so.
(a) The Moon has no atmosphere to protect it. 4arth has an
atmosphere so most rocks from space burn up before they
reach the ground. (b) 4arth has been hit by meteoroids, as the
Moon was, but erosion has worn down the craters so that we
cannot see them clearly any more.
. Neil 1rmstrong was the first man to put his foot on the Moon.
7is footprint is still there after years. On 4arth, a footprint
does not last so long. 4xplain why it lasts so long on the
Moon.
The Moon has no rain and no wind to remove the footprint.
. The 4arth is travelling through Space at kilometres in
every hour. 7ow can we work that out? 7ere is information
for you to use: The length of the 4arth's path around the Sun
is million kilometres and it takes days to go all the
way around. Now you can work it out for yourself. 7int to
help you: 7ow many hours are there in one day?
This is a challenge for your learners. They will not be used to
working with very big numbers. They will probably need
calculators. 7owever, they know what answer they should get.
...
4arth and 2eyond

8t is amazing to think that
our planet is one of just
eight in our solar system,
and our solar system is one
of millions in our galaxy!
8n the next chapter we find

out about the movement
of our planet in our solar
system.
. .
Movements of the 4arth and planets
.K4Y QU4ST8ONS
. .• ..8f.it is nighttime in South 1frica, is it also nighttime in 2razil?
• Do the other planets also take a year to revolve once around
the Sun? 8s their year the same length as our year on 4arth?
• Why do we get day and night?
• What is the difference between revolution and rotation?
. Rotation (4arth)
5or a long time people believed that the 4arth stood still and the
Sun moved around the 4arth. 8n this chapter we will find out what
really happens. We'll start by thinking about day and night.
New Words Day and night

• rotate.
• spin During the day, it appears as though the Sun moves across the sky
• rotation as it rises (comes up) in the morning and sets (goes down)in the
• direction
evening.
4ast and West are two directions you must know. 8f you point at
VISIT
the Sun when it appears to rise in the morning, you are pointing in
Short video showing the direction of 4ast. 8f you point at the place where the Sun sets,
.
the Sun, 4arth and you are pointing direction of West. 7ave a look at the picture of
Moon system Sophie. Sophie loves to get up early and watch the sunrise. She is
goo.gl/cXeog standing with her arms stretched out, pointing in the directions
4ast and West.
You can tell the direction from the rising and setting of the Sun.
.
13T8V8TY: 5ind 4ast and West
M1T4R81LS:
• a place where you can stand in the early morning
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. Look at the picture of Sophie at sunrise and answer the
questions.
QU4ST8ONS:
. Which is Sophie's right hand? Show her right hand with your
finger.
. Why do we see a shadow of Sophie on the ground?
The Sun is casting the shadow as Sophie is blocking the light
from the Sun which reaches that part of the ground.
. 8n which direction is her shadow pointing? West
. 8f Sophie looks straight in front of her, in which direction is she
looking? North
. Now find the direction of 4ast . in your classroom. You must
point to the place where you see the Sun come up in the
morning. 8n the classroom, stretch out your arms and point in
the direction of 4ast and West. 3lean the floor and stick some
insulating tape on the floor so that everyone can remember
which direction is 4ast and which direction is West.
7elp your learners understand that 4ast is not really a place.
Wherever you are on 4arth, you can point towards 4ast and if
you keep walking 4ast you will see the sunrise in front of you
every morning. This idea can be a little confusing because we
do talk about places like Mpumalanga, the place where the
Sun rises. 2ut if you actually go to Mpumalanga's eastern
border, then you see the Sun rise over Mozambique. 8n
Mozambique, the Sun rises over the sea, and so on.
So the difference between the words "place" and "direction" is
important. We see this if we ask the question "7ow far must 8
walk to reach the 4ast?" The answer is "You can never reach it;
the 4ast will always be in front of you."
This becomes practically significant when we tell the learners
that the 4arth rotates towards the 4ast. You cannot find a
place on the globe that is marked "the 4ast".
. .
3hapter . Movements
of the 4arth and planets
What does the word "direction" mean? You can walk in a direction
towards a place. 8f the wind blows, you see leaves moving in the
same direction as the wind. Remember, a direction is not a place
that you can reach!
8ntroduce what it means to discuss something with someone else.

You can also introduce the concept of debating, which is a more
formal discussion where two opposing (opposite and different)
views are put forward on a topic and each group argues their case.
1llow learners a few minutes to discuss the following question with
their partner. Then ask for some feedback on the answers.
QU4ST8ONS
.Let's have a discussion. To discuss something is to talk about

it and your ideas with someone else or a group of people.
Turn to your classmate next to you and discuss the following
question. Write your answer down, then write your partner's
answer down.
Where does the Sun go at night? Why do we get day and

night?
Your answer is:

Your partner's answer is:
N2: The Sun does not actually "go" anywhere at night! We may
talk about the movement of the Sun across the sky in everyday
language, but this is 8N3ORR43T. The Sun does not move - the
4arth rotates on its axis. 8n the rest of this section, make it clear
to learners that the Sun may appear to move across the sky,
but it is actually the 4arth that is spinning which makes it look
like the Sun moves.
8n this next section we will find out these answers!
Does the Sun really move, or does the 4arth move?

When you ride in a bus, you may see houses outside the bus. 8t
looks as if the houses move past your window.
...
4arth and 2eyond

To Sophie, who is riding in a bus, it looks like the houses are moving past.
QU4ST8ONS
.Why do the houses seem to move past your window? 1re the
houses really moving? Discuss this question.
Don't accept an answer "No, they are not moving"; ask why
they seem to move. Learners must realise that the houses
seem to move but it happens because the person in the bus
is moving. We want learners to put this idea into words for
themselves.
So it is really the person in the bus who is moving; it looks to the

person as though the houses are moving, but they are not moving.
You saw how big the Sun is when we compare the 4arth and the
Sun. 6o back to the beginning of this term's work to find the
picture of the Sun and the 4arth. That great big Sun does not
move around the 4arth.
The 4arth is turning around and that is why we see the Sun move
past us. We are like Sophie in the bus. She is in the bus and she is
moving past the houses. The Sun is like the houses; they are not
moving. 8t looks to us as though the Sun is moving, but it's really
the 4arth that is turning around.
You can think of the 4arth as an orange with a pencil through it.
. .
3hapter . Movements
The 4arth spins like an orange on a pencil.
8f you twist the pencil, the whole orange spins around. This is like
the 4arth spinning around. The pencil is called the axis of the
orange. 8n the same way, we can think of an axis that goes through
the 4arth. The axis is a line that we can imagine, it is not a real
thing. 4arth spins around that axis. We say the 4arth rotates
(spins).
We say that the 4arth has an axis that it rotates on. This axis runs
from the North Pole to the South Pole as you can see in the picture.
...
4arth and 2eyond

Other objects also
have axes of rotation.
5or example, an ice
skater has a vertical
axis that she rotates
on when spinning on
a spot during her
performance.
1 log which is
floating in water can
also roll around. 8t
will have a horizontal Different axes of rotation
axis of rotation.
13T8V8TY: Make a model of the 4arth in daytime and

nighttime
M1T4R81LS:
• a globe of the 4arth or a balloon with the shapes of the

continents drawn on it
• string to hang a globe or balloon
• a large mirror
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
4veryone must look at the globe from the same side.

1 globe is a model of the 4arth.
. .
3hapter . Movements
. This picture shows you how to set up the equipment.
. Set up a mirror outside the room so that it reflects bright
sunlight onto the 4arth globe. Your globe must be able to
spin around.
. 4veryone must look at the globe from the same side.
. 5ind 1frica on the globe. Turn the globe so that the Sun's
light falls on South 1frica.
. One side of the globe is in shadow. 5ind the shadow in the
picture. Write the word "shadow" next to it.
This is to make sure your learners are following the explanation.
. 5ind where Durban and 3ape Town are on the globe.
Make small people out of Prestik and stick their feet on the globe
at Durban and 3ape Town.
. Look at the globe in the picture. 8f you were in Durban, would

it be daytime or nighttime?
. 8f you were in 3ape Town, would it be daytime or nighttime?
. Now turn the globe so that 1frica moves to the right. That is,
you turn the globe towards the
. 4ast. You will see Durban
becoming dark and moving into the shadow. When Durban is
in nighttime, 3ape Town will still be in sunlight.
. Keep on turning the globe towards the 4ast. Now 3ape Town
will go into the shadow. That is nighttime for the people in
3ape Town.
. Which city will come back into daytime first, 3ape Town or
Durban?
Skill: Predicting from the pattern they can see. 1nswer: Durban.
We know that the Sun rises earlier in Durban than in 3ape Town.
. Keep on turning the globe to the 4ast, and Durban will come
back into daytime. You have to move to the other side of the
model to see Durban move into sunlight.
. 7ow many hours pass for the 4arth to turn around once?
hours. People did not discover how long an hour is; they
decided how long an hour would be, and they divided up the
day-night into hours.
...
4arth and 2eyond

3an you see how the light from the Sun only reaches
one half of the 4arth as it rotates?
We see the Sun appear to rise and move across the sky every day.
2ut the Sun does not really move; it only seems to move! 4arth is
spinning round and round, and we are moving around with the
4arth. The 4arth takes hours to complete one full rotation.
13T8V8TY: Your head can be a model of the 4arth
M1T4R81LS:
• yourself
• sunlight coming from one side
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. This model will help you to understand
. why we see the Sun
move across the sky. Do this in the early morning when the
Sun is still low.
. We will say that your nose is 1frica. You are on 1frica. Look at
picture below.
. Now stand so that bright light from the Sun shines across
your right cheek.
. Turn slowly to your left. Turn your eyes towards the bright
place where the Sun is. You will see the Sun move to your
right while you move to the left.
. Move your feet and turn further; you will see the Sun "go
down" over your right cheek.
. .
3hapter . Movements
.
Using your head as a model of the 4arth.
They must move their whole bodies around, not just their heads!
. When you have turned your back to the Sun, you cannot see
the bright light any more. That is like night time in 1frica.
. Turn further to your left and you will see the Sun "rise" over
your left cheek. That is like sunrise in 1frica.
N2. Make sure to emphasise to learners that they are moving their
head around which is like the 4arth rotating, whilst the light source
(the Sun) does not move.
New Words
• .
revolve
•
•
revolution
rotate . Revolution (4arth)
• orbit
2y now you know that all the planets revolve (travel) around the
Sun. 4ach planet has its own pathway. This is called its orbit. We
can also say planets orbit the Sun. 4arth also moves in its own
orbit around the Sun. This movement is called the revolution of
the 4arth around the Sun. We can also say that the 4arth orbits
around the Sun.
We have now come across two new words: rotation and revolution.
Remember, these are not the same thing! Let's do an activity using
our own bodies to understand the difference between revolution
and rotation.
...
4arth and 2eyond

Most people, including adults, mix up the terms `revolution' and
`rotation'. The simplest way to deal with this is to say that the
4arth spins around its own axis, and it orbits around the Sun. We
can use "orbit" as a verb. 8n the next activity, make sure to show
the difference in the body movements when rotating and when
revolving. 4xplain to learners when they are doing each one. This
is also another way of making a model of the motions of the 4arth.
We did it before, with the ball swinging around on a long string.
13T8V8TY: Make a model of the 4arth revolving around

the Sun
M1T4R81LS:
• room to move around
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
The learner is rotating (spinning) and revolving around his partner.
. We are going to use our bodies to understand the difference

between revolving and rotating.
. 5irst, the whole class must stand, and spread out. Now spin
around with your arms out, staying on one spot. This is called
rotation! The 4arth rotates like this on its axis.
. .
3hapter . Movements
. Now get into pairs. One learner must stand in one spot and
the other learner must walk in a circle around the other
person. This is revolution. The second learner is revolving
around the learner standing still in the middle. The 4arth
revolves around the Sun like this.
. Now, let's put both movements together! 1s the 4arth rotates
on its axis, it also revolves around the Sun. This might be
tricky! Spin around (rotate) while also moving in a big circle
around your partner (revolve). Look at the picture below.
DID YOU KNOW? QU4ST8ONS:

4very years we have
a leap year, which is . 8n this model, who represents the Sun and who represents the
when there is one 4arth?
extra day in the year. The learner standing still is the Sun and the learner moving
around is the 4arth. .
This is because the
. takes
4arth actually . When you are spinning and walking in a circle around your
. days to revolve partner, sometimes you face your partner and sometimes
around the Sun, and your back is to your partner. Which of these represents day
not just days. So for you and which represents night for you?
every years, we When you face your partner it is like day as the Sun shines on
have an extra day to your face and when your back is to your partner, then it is like
account for these night.
quarter days. . You could spin around very quickly, but how many hours need
to pass for the 4arth to rotate once?
hours
. You could also move around your partner quite quickly. 8n
reality, how long does it take for the 4arth to go once around
the Sun?
days
.K4Y 3ON34PTS
• Wherever we are, we can find the 4ast - West direction by

the place where the Sun rises and sets.
• The 4arth spins on its axis once in hours. This spinning
is called rotation.
• The part of the 4arth that faces the Sun experiences
daylight, and the part that is turned away from the Sun
experiences night.
• The 4arth travels in its orbit right around the Sun. This travel
in orbit is called revolution.
• 1 complete travelling of the 4arth around the Sun makes a
year.
...
4arth and 2eyond

.
R4V8S8ON:
. 7ow can you find 4ast?

Look towards the place where the Sun comes up in the
morning.
. 7ow can you find North?
Stretch out your arms so that your right hand point 4ast and
your left hand points West. Then North is the direction in front
of you.
. Why does it look as though the Sun moves across the sky
when we know that the Sun does not move?
The Sun seems to move because the 4arth is rotating
(turning). The Sun seems to move from 4ast to West, but that
is because the 4arth is rotating from West to 4ast.
. Where is the Sun, when it is nighttime where we are?
The Sun is on the other side of the world.
. When we are having night, is everybody in the world also
having night?
No .
. The 4arth spins on its own axis. What term refers to this?
Rotate/rotation
. The 4arth and the other planets travel in an orbit around the
Sun. What term refers to this?
Revolve/revolution
. 7ow many hours does it take the 4arth to rotate once?
hours
. 7ow many days does it take the 4arth to revolve once around
the Sun?
. days
. Do you think Mars would take more 4arth days to revolve
around the Sun than 4arth does? Why?
Yes, it would take longer because it is further away and
therefore has a longer/bigger pathway.
. 2onus question: Why do you think we have a leap year every
years and not every or years?
This is because it is . days. 1s our calendar only has
days, four quarters make up an extra day every four years.
This might be quite hard as it deals with fractions.
. .
3hapter . Movements
The movement of the Moon
.K4Y QU4ST8ONS
. .• ..Does
. the Moon move around the 4arth?
• 7as anyone ever seen the far side of the Moon?
• What is a solar eclipse?
. Rotation (Moon)
On 4arth we see only one side of

the Moon. Nobody knew what
the far side to the Moon looked
like until the Soviet Luna
spacecraft went into orbit around
the Moon in and
photographed the far side. The
force of gravity between the
4arth and Moon holds the Moon's
VISIT This photo was taken by a
near side facing us.
Video showing the spacecraft orbiting the Moon. 8t
. shows the far side of the Moon that
movement of the
we never see.
Moon
goo.gl/B9Jq8
8t is a very difficult concept to understand that we only ever see
one side of the Moon, yet the Moon still rotates. The following
dramatisation will help learners to understand this. Make sure that
the ball being used has a clear mark on one side so that this can be
used as a reference.
13T8V8TY: Does the Moon rotate?
M1T4R81LS:
.
• a white ball with a red mark on it
• a person who will swing the ball around like the learner in the
picture
• another person who will watch the ball as it swings around
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. Do as the learner in the picture is doing. Stretch out your arm

and make the white ball revolve around your body by holding
out your arm and moving on around on a spot.
. 1s you are moving the ball around yourself, you only ever see
one side of the ball. Do you agree?
. Your partner must stand on one side of you as you swing the
ball around. What does this person see? They will see
different sides of the ball.
. Take it in turns to be the one moving the ball around as you
rotate and the one observing.
The learner represents the 4arth and the white ball represents the Moon.
The learner swinging the ball always sees the same side of the ball, VISIT
but a person standing watching the ball will say that it rotates. The Do we always see the
red mark on the ball will point to the side of the room, then to the .
same side of the
back of the room, then to the other side, and then to the front of Moon? (video)
the room. goo.gl/cdoJJ
So the person watching will say that the ball has rotated, and also
revolved.
The real Moon takes about days to rotate once.
. .
3hapter . The movement of the Moon
. Revolution (Moon)
The Moon also revolves in orbit around the 4arth, as you saw in the
last activity. The Moon takes about days to complete one orbit.
The force of gravity between the 4arth and the Moon holds the
Moon so that it always faces us on 4arth.
The Moon revolves around the 4arth.
5or the following activity, divide the class up into groups. 5irst let
them discuss how they are going to act out the movement, using
the knowledge and movements from the last two activities. They
have to put these together. You can chose some learners as judges
who decide which group understands the movements best. This
activity requires learners to work in a group to come up with an
answer and present it to the class. You can also get the learners to
explain what they are doing as they are acting out to see if they
really understand the movement.
13T8V8TY: Make a model of the 4arth and Moon

revolving around the Sun
M1T4R81LS: .
• a white ball
• two people who have practised the model in the previous
activity
...
4arth and 2eyond

8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. You must use your bodies and the white ball to act out this
model of the 4arth and Moon revolving around the Sun.
. Work together in small groups to decide how you are going
to perform this model.
. You must put together the movement of the Moon around the
4arth from the last activity, and the movement of the 4arth
with its Moon, around the Sun.
. Then perform the movements for the class.
. So the model you must perform will be like this diagram
shows.
1cting out the Moon and 4arth moving around the Sun
.K4Y 3ON34PTS
• The Moon travels in an orbit around the 4arth in about

days.
• The Moon rotates on an axis which also takes about days.
• We always see only one side of the Moon.
• Together, the 4arth and Moon revolve around the Sun.
. .
.
R4V8S8ON:
. 3omplete the sentences using all the words from the word
box. write the sentences out in full on the lines below and
number each sentence.
a) The Sun stays in

b) The 4arth rotates on its own
c) The Moon revolves
d) The revolve together in a big circle around the
Sun.
e) We only ever see of the Moon.
Word box .
• Moon and the 4arth

• around the 4arth
• one side
• axis
• the same place
a) The Sun stays in the same place.

b) The 4arth rotates on its own axis.
c) The Moon revolves around the 4arth.
d) The Moon and the earth move together in a big circle
around the Sun.
e) We only ever see one side of the Moon.
...
4arth and 2eyond

3omplete the table comparing the Sun, 4arth and Moon.
Some answers have been filled in for you.
.
Question Sun 4arth Moon
What is the
object star planet a moon
classified as?
What is the
round round round
shape?
What is the
The 4arth is
size relative to
bigger than
the other The Sun is the The Moon is
the Moon and
objects being biggest. the smallest.
much smaller
discussed
than the Sun.
here?
The Moon
. revolves
What is the The 4arth around the
The Sun stays
movement in revolves rotating 4arth,
in the same
relation to around the while the 4arth
place
other objects? Sun. revolves
around the
Sun.
solid rock,
hot gas
What is the magma, water
(mostly
object made and gases in rock
hydrogen and
of? the
helium)
atmosphere
3an this object No, the Moon
No, it reflects
produce yes reflects the
the Sun's light.
(radiate) light? Sun's rays.
is there water
no yes no
present?
. .
Systems to explore the Moon and Ma
. . ...
7ow to introduce this topic:
There is a strategic reason for placing this technology project on

systems to explore the Moon and Mars here: if we leave this unit to
the last weeks of the year, the children will probably not get the
experience of doing a technology project. They may just make a
thing with wheels, in their own time, perhaps at home, and that is
not technology.
The educational value in technology lies in the investigating,

thinking and designing that children must do. Technology aims to
make children capable; capability means the children's ability to
turn thinking into doing and completing. When they learn new
science knowledge, the learning has a purpose: they must use that
knowledge in producing good designs. when they have made a
product, they should be able to explain to you all the reasons why
they designed it like that (even if they could not make it in the way
they wanted to).
So some very important learning happens during a technology

project, and you need to guide them through all the stages. That's
why we don't leave technology projects for the last weeks of the
year.
8f you trained as a technology teacher, you will recognise the N3S

pattern of technology projects - do you remember 8DM43? You
can remind the learners of this:
8 stands for investigating the problem which some people have,

investigating existing products, and investigating concepts and
skills that you will need to solve the problem.
D stands for designing - that means using what you learnt from
investigations to think of good ways to solve the problem.
M stands for making - when you make your model, you use
materials and tools, you make your model look good, and you
show the teacher what you learnt in your investigating." (notice
that most children design with their hands, not only with pencil
and paper. 1s they work with materials they get more ideas, and
their design improves. 1s a result, we should expect them to go
back and forth between designing and making. 8t's really all the
same stage of a project.)
4 stands for evaluating - after you have made your model to solve
the problem, you have to ask, does it work? is this what the people
wanted? could we make a better one?
3 stands for communicating - you must show other people how

you decided on your solution to the problem. you need to write
and draw your ideas." (the learners should be drawing and writing
all through the project. don't leave the writing to the end, because
they find it boring at that stage. When they are getting new ideas
they often enjoy writing because they are writing about their own
ideas; this is a great strength of technology in school. a technology
project gives the children reasons for reading and reasons for
writing. and so - this is very important - we can address the literacy
problem through the subject of Natural Science and Technology.)
.K4Y QU4ST8ONS
• 7ow do we make a vehicle move on the Moon or Mars?

• 7ow do we collect information about the rocks on the
surface?
• What do scientists want to know about the Moon and Mars?
. Vehicles used on Mars

No humans have ever been to Mars but scientists know a lot about
the surface of Mars. You learnt about this planet in the first
chapter. They have found out what Mars is like by using vehicles
called rovers that send back information to 4arth. Let's have a look
at some of these different rovers and how they operate.
This is the rover that was carried by the Pathfinder spacecraft. 8t has
instruments to find out what the rock is made of.
. .
3hapter . Systems to
explore the Moon and Mars
The Pathfinder rover
8n , the Pathfinder spacecraft landed on Mars. 8t had a small

rover inside; the Pathfinder opened up and the rover came out and
New Words began taking photographs of Mars. Look at the picture below. The
. photo is not very clear but remember that it was taken with a
• Mars
• rover robot camera; that camera sent the picture by radio signals, back
• microbes
to 4arth.
DID YOU KNOW? The driver of the rover was millions of kilometres away on 4arth
Photo means "light"
and used radio signals to steer the rover.
and voltaic means
. The Pathfinder rover used electric motors to move. The electricity
"electricity". So
photovoltaic means
for the motors came from photovoltaic (solar) panels on its top
producing electricity
surface. Solar panels transfer energy from sunlight to the electric
using light.
motors. 5ind the solar panels in the photo. The solar panels that
you learnt about in 4nergy and 3hange last term are also
photovoltaic panels.
Pose this scenario to the learners:
The rover was about mm long and mm wide. 8magine you

are looking down at the top of the rover. Use your ruler to draw a
rectangle that size on the board. Then draw the wheels you could
see.
Then let a learner representative from three groups each do a

drawing on the board at the same time; the class will be interested
to see who does it best. 1 good answer will show a rectangle
mm x mm, and then six small rectangles for the wheels. 5rom
the top, the wheels will not be circles - let the learners confirm this
by looking down at a shoe polish tin or snuffbox.
The rovers called Spirit and Opportunity
These two rovers landed on Mars in . Like Pathfinder, they

also used solar panels that generate electricity from sunlight. 8n
VISIT
, after years, the rover called Spirit got stuck in sand. Soon
. mission
Opportunity's after this it stopped sending back messages.
(video)
goo.gl/OW5Qm The rover called Opportunity is still working, after years on Mars!
8t has travelled over km and sent back thousands of pictures.
...
4arth and 2eyond

VISIT
The Opportunity rover is going to scrape some grains off that rock and . of
The making
analyse it. 3uriosity (video)
goo.gl/BwDaz
The rover called 3uriosity
This rover is the size of a small car and will be able to travel further
and collect much more information about the surface of Mars.
Scientists want to know whether there are any living things on
other planets. So the rover will look for signs that microorganisms
lived on Mars a long time ago. Microorganisms are very tiny
organisms that cannot be seen by the eye. They are so small that
millions would fit onto the tip of a needle.
The Mars rover called 3uriosity
VISIT
The rover has video cameras to show the driver back on 4arth
what is in front of the rover, and it has a long arm with a scoop to Teaching 3uriosity to
.
pick up soil samples. 8t also has a laser that can heat rock until it use a robotic arm on
turns into vapour. Then special cameras look at the vapour and Mars (video)
find out what substances are in the vapour. 3an you see the goo.gl/nwj68 and
cameras in the picture?
. .
QU4ST8ONS
. . Do you think that there could be living things on Mars?

What do living things need to go on living?
Water, something to feed on for energy, and perhaps they
need oxygen.
13T8V8TY: The wheels of Mars rovers
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. Look at the wheels of three Mars rovers below.

. 1nswer the questions.
The wheels of three Mars rovers
VISIT QU4ST8ONS:
Landing 3uriosity on
. . We know that wheels are round. Why do these wheels look
Mars (video)
goo.gl/BwDaz and like rectangles?
goo.gl/LBda0 The wheels look rectangular because we are seeing them in
front view, not side view. Learners will need to know about
front, side and top views for drawing in Technology.
. The diameters of the three wheels are cm, cm and
cm. Draw three circles on the board or paper to show these
diameters.
...
4arth and 2eyond

Learners can use a piece of string as a compass; they tie a
knot at one end and hold the chalk at half of the diameter. 5or
example, to draw a circle with cm diameter, the chalk must
be cm from the knot. Then they keep the knot in one spot
on the board and move the chalk all around the knot. The
string keeps the chalk at cm from the knot. The knot is on
the centre of the circle, the length of the string is the radius
(i.e. cm), the path of the chalk is the circumference and the
distance across the circle, through the centre, is the diameter
(two times the radius).
. The wheels shown belong to the rovers, Pathfinder,
Opportunity and 3uriosity. Match the wheels to the rovers.
Write the letters 1, 2 and 3 below with the name of the rover
next to it.
1: Pathfinder
2: Opportunity
3: 3uriosity
. Why are the wheels different diameters?
The wheels are different sizes because the rover cars have
gotten bigger and bigger, so they need bigger wheels.
. Why did the designers choose such wide wheels?
The designers probably chose . wide wheels because the
surface of Mars is sandy. 1 narrow wheel, like a bicycle wheel,
would sink into the sand.
. Use your ruler and work with the picture of the wheels.
Measure the diameter of each wheel in the picture and the
width of each wheel. Write your measurements into this table.
Diameter of wheel Width of wheel
Pathfinder
Opportunity
3uriosity
What is the pattern that you find? Write out the whole
sentence The bigger the diameter, the ...
The bigger the diameter, the wider the wheel. They can see
the pattern in the picture, but they need to learn the language
for describing patterns: The bigger..., the wider...
. .
. Vehicles used on the Moon
1pollo mission astronauts walked around on the Moon. This was
the first time. 2ut for 1pollo , and each mission had a lunar
rover called a Moon buggy. Lunar means "relating to the Moon".
New Words Look at the picture of the lunar rover. This vehicle went to the
. Moon in and it is still there. Other spacecraft photographed it
• lunar
• mission in . You will find out more about this rover when you
• astronauts
investigate rovers for your Technology project.
VISIT
5ootage from the first
The 1pollo astronauts drove this 1stronauts testing out a lunar rover
. lunar rover on the Moon. on 4arth
landing on the Moon
(video)
goo.gl/Yp2o7 2elow is a photograph of astronauts testing out a lunar rover on
4arth before they used it on the surface of the Moon.
New Words
. energy
• kinetic
. Design and make a vehicle to collect
• potential
energy
Moon rocks
• engineer
Do you remember how, in the last term of 6r. , you were on your
way to the Moon with the Thunderbolt Kids? You are now part of a
crew in the 1pollo scientific mission.
We are approaching the Moon!
...
4arth and 2eyond

8nvestigate the need for a Moon rover
Set the scenario of a mission to collect Moon rocks. This follows on
from the 6r. Technology project where the task was to design
and build a rocket to get to the Moon.
Your mission is to collect rocks from the Moon. Scientists back on

4arth want to study those rocks and find out whether they are the
same as rocks on 4arth. You have to collect from different places
VISIT
on the Moon so you need to be able to move around on the surface.
1pollo . Rover
Lunar
8n , scientists really did go to the Moon to collect rocks. 8n the (video)
picture you see a photo of one of the rocks that came back to goo.gl/e3Cgj
4arth with the 1pollo Mission.
1 rock from the Moon
The Sun heats the Moon's surface to the temperature of boiling

water so you will have to wear a special suit to protect you and
cool you. The suit will make it difficult to work and walk.
The Moon has no air, so you will have to carry air for yourself in
tanks (bottles). To do all this work, you will need a vehicle to move
around on the Moon. The vehicle is called a rover.
1stronaut 3eman and Schmitt 1stronaut Schmitt collecting

practising to pick up rock samples samples on the Moon
before going on the 1pollo lunar
mission
. .
Your Design brief
1 Design brief for a Technology project is a short statement of
what you are going to make, why you are going to make it and
what you are going to make it for.
Question:
Write your Design brief in the space below using the following
phrases:
• "8 am going to design and make a …."

• "that will help scientists to …"
• "....the Moon"
Now that you have specified your Design brief for your project,we
need to do some more investigating to answer some questions
before we can start designing.
8nvestigate the surface of the Moon
8n 3hapter , you learnt about the Moon. The rover needs to be

able to drive over the Moon's surface, so we must investigate what
the surface of the Moon is like.
QU4ST8ONS
.Write one fact about the Moon that you must think about when
you design your rover. Write a sentence to explain why that
fact is important.
5or example, the Moon is covered in loose dust (so the wheels
must not sink in and get stuck). The Moon has craters (so the
Moon rover must be able to go into a crater and come out
again). There is no air on the Moon so a petrol engine will not
work in the rover.
8nvestigate ways to move people and equipment
The rover on the Moon had four electric motors; one motor in each
wheel. 8t did not need a steering wheel, because the driver can
...
4arth and 2eyond

switch the motors on and off in each wheel. This steers the vehicle.
8t had two seats with seat-belts.
1stronauts used this rover on the Moon during the 1pollo mission.
The part that looks like an umbrella is an aerial that picked up radio
messages from 4arth. 3an you see this in the picture? 8t looks a bit
like a satellite dish you see on some houses for television.
QU4ST8ONS
. . 7ow do you think the rover got energy to work the motors
in the wheels?
8t had to carry batteries to provide energy to the motors.
. The rover was made of very light materials. Why did the
rover have to be light?
5irstly, a rocket had to lift it off the 4arth to go to the
Moon; secondly, a light vehicle could work on smaller
batteries.
. Why did the wheels have shields over them? The shields
are the orange things over the wheels.
The tyres could throw up small stones that could do
damage.
. The wheels of the rover were quite wide. What would
happen if the wheels were narrow like a bicycle wheel?
The wheels would sink into the sand and get stuck.
. Why must cars on 4arth have headlights?
3ars on 4arth have headlights so that the drivers can see
the road at night.
. Do you think the rover needed headlights?
No, the astronauts worked in full sunlight.
. .
8nvestigate ways to give energy to the rover
Your Moon rover needs energy to make it move. Do you remember
that in 6r. we looked at 4nergy and Movement when doing
4nergy and 3hange?
7ey, that was over a year ago

when we did 4nergy and
Movement! 8 don't remember
much so can we please refresh
our memories?!
Of course, Sophie! This is also quite a difficult topic and you will
learn more about it in later grades, so let's refresh some of these
terms.When you stretch an elastic you transfer energy to it, called
stored energy. 1nother way of saying this is that you give the
elastic potential energy. This means it has the potential to do work.
Or in other words, in the future the stretched elastic band can do
something.
This stretched elastic band has potential (stored) energy.
When you let the stretched elastic band go, it now moves as it
springs back. This is movement energy, and is also called kinetic
energy. Kinetic means movement. The potential energy stored in
the stretched elastic band changed into kinetic energy as the
elastic band was released and moved.
Now let's apply these terms to the rover. You can also give
something potential energy by lifting it up off the ground as it then
has the potential to fall or move back to the ground. You can give
energy to your Moon rover if you lift it up on a plank, as you see in
this picture.
...
4arth and 2eyond

One way to give your rover energy to move
When you lift up the plank and rover, your hand gives some of your
energy to the rover. 8t now has potential energy to move.
QU4ST8ONS
.When you let the rover go, what will happen? Use the words
'kinetic energy' in your answer.
The rover will lose potential energy and gain kinetic energy as
it moves down the ramp. This might be quite difficult for some
learners to answer if they have still not understood the topics.
Perhaps answer the question as a class discussion.
The plank is useful for testing the wheels of your model. 2ut the
rover must be able to go up hills, not only down them.
The second way to give your rover energy to move is to use an

electric motor and battery. Do you remember last term we looked
at electric circuits and the source of energy for a circuit is a cell or
battery? You can fit an electric motor and a battery to your rover.
The potential energy in that system is in the battery.
. .
1 battery is a source of potential energy for an electric motor.
1nother way to make your rover move on the Moon is to use a

rocket. Rockets will work on the Moon. 8nside the rocket, gas
pushes against all the sides. Some gas pushes against the walls of
the balloon and some gas pushes out through the opening of the
balloon.
Look at the rocket car in the picture. The gas pushing through the
opening of the balloon pushes the whole car forward.
The balloon works like a rocket. You have to give it potential energy first.
This rocket is on rollers. 3ould you fit wheels to this car?
The real Moon rovers had batteries and electric motors in each
wheel. Many electric cars have a motor. This motor can give
energy to your Moon rover.
8nvestigate ways to make a body with wheels

Your Moon rover needs a body for the scientists to sit on and to
put the rocks into. The body of a vehicle must have good ways to
hold the wheels.
We looked at wheels and axles in 6r. in 4nergy and 3hange. 1

wheel fits onto an axle, which is a solid rod or bar that allows the
wheels to turn.
...
4arth and 2eyond

QU4ST8ONS
.Label the two wheels and the axle in the following diagram.
You know there are different ways to let wheels turn on an axle.
One way is to have the axle fixed to the body, and the wheels are
free to turn on the axle. What is the other way to let wheels turn?
) Wheels fixed to the axle
You can use plastic straws or the barrel of a ballpoint pen to make
a bearing for an axle. The picture shows you two ways to fix the
bearings onto the body. The bearing is the hollow tube that the
axle goes through. The bearing must be bigger than the axle so
that the axle can turn easily.
Two ways to fix the bearing onto the body
. .
QU4ST8ONS
. . What are the two ways used in the picture to fix the

bearing onto the body?
Tape and glue
. What are some materials that you could use to make the
axle in the above picture?
Smaller straws, dowel sticks, sosatie sticks, etc.
You can also use plastic signboard or strong corrugated cardboard

to make a body with wheels. 3an you see how the axle goes
through the holes in the cardboard?
The board makes bearings for the axles which are fixed
to the wheels. The axles turn in the holes.
) Wheels turn on the axle
The next picture shows you another way to let the wheels turn.
This time the axle remains still and the wheels turn on the axle. The
axle is fastened to a wooden body with cable clips. 3able clips
fasten telephone cables to walls. 3an you see the blown up version
of a cable clip? The clips may hold the axle tightly, so the wheels
must be free to rotate.
...
4arth and 2eyond

7ow the cable clips can hold an axle 1 clip to hold
telephone cables to
the wall
Now that we are finished DID YOU KNOW?

investigating, let's start
1n engineer is
designing!
someone who designs
and builds machines
. for a
and structures
living. 8f you enjoy the
Technology projects
then maybe one day
Designing and Making you could be an

engineer!
Your Moon rover can look different to the 1pollo rovers.
One of the astronauts driving a Moon rover
. .
The 1pollo engineers designed other rovers, but in the end they
chose this design. Your design will look different to their designs.
13T8V8TY: Designing and making your rover
SP4385831T8ONS ( what your rover must be like):
. Your rover must be balloon powered.

. Your rover's wheels should be able to roll easily and it should
go at least metres on the floor.
. Your rover must have two seats and it must have a model of
you as a Moon explorer.
. 8t must be able to carry two small stones for at least metres.
The stones represent rock samples from the Moon, to take
back to 4arth.
3ONSTR18NTS:
. You must build your rover in class.
D4S86N:
.
. Draw a picture of a rover you could make in the space below.
. Show the seats, with an astronaut in one seat. Show the place
where the Moon rocks will go.
. 1dd other parts that your rover should have. Write labels to
tell everyone what the different parts of the rover are.
. Leave some space at the bottom for a second design. When
you begin making the rover, you will get better ideas. Then
you can draw another picture of your design. The two
pictures will show how your ideas changed.
M1T4R81LS:
Things to collect for wheels:You can collect snuffboxes,

shoe-polish tins, the lids of bottles. You can also cut out cardboard
circles.
Things to collect for axles:You can find sosatie sticks, stiff plastic
straws, wooden dowel sticks, aluminium rods. The school may have
plastic rods from a supplier. You can also use nails or wire to make
axles.
...
4arth and 2eyond

Things you can use for wheels and axles
.
Tools and materials you need as a class:
• some long-nose pliers to cut and bend wire

• hole-makers (small and big nails) and big scissors for cutting
cardboard
• a small hammer to drive the nails
• some glue (or you can make flour glue in class)
• balloons to power the rover
• To decorate your rover car you need crayons or paint.
Remember to colour the scientist who drives the rover.
M1K4:
Now let's make the rover. 2elow are some tips which will help you
when making your rover. Remember that you may not have the
perfect design from the start! So when making your rover, you
need to go back and modify your design as you find things which
work and do not work.
. 7ow to find the centre of a wheel (remember, a wheel is a circle)
• Some plastic lids have a small dimple or lump that shows you
. .
where the centre is.
• 8f your lids or discs do not have a dimple, you can use a ruler
to draw diameter lines across the middle (a dimple is a small
dent).
• 1 diameter line is the longest line you can draw across a
circle. Where diameters cross, that is the centre.
1 wheel is a circle. Draw three diameters and mark

the centre. 8n this example the centre is the red dot.
. 7ow to make the right size hole in the centre
• 8f you want the wheel to rotate on the axle, then you must
make a hole that is a little bit bigger than the diameter of the
axle.
• 8f you want the wheel to be tight on the axle, then you must
make a hole that is smaller than the diameter of the axle.
When you push the wheel onto . the axle, it will grip the axle.
. 7ow to stop wheels wobbling on their axles
• 8f the axle goes through just one surface of the lid, this is what
can happen: the wheel will wobble. You need to give the lid
another surface. 6lue two lids together.
• Or else, trace the shape of the lid on cardboard, mark a hole
in the centre of the circle, and cut out the cardboard. 3ut the
cardboard so that the disc will be a tight fit in the lid. Then
glue the cardboard into the lid.
You can stop the wobbling by glueing two lids together.
...
4arth and 2eyond

. Does the wheel rub against the body of the rover?
• You need a spacer on the axle, to keep some space between

the wheel and the body.
• You can use a bead with a large hole, or you can make plastic
washers from slippery plastic. Milk bottles are good for
making slippery washers.
• Use an office punch for making neat holes in a piece of
milk-bottle plastic. Then cut around the holes to make
washers.
.
Where to use a spacer or washer
. Does the wheel come off the axle?
• Push a piece of soft tubing onto the end of the axle as you
see in the picture.
• Or push on a flat piece of cardboard and hold it on the axle
with glue.
Soft plastic tubing or glue will stop the wheel coming off the axle.
. .
. Does the rover not run in a straight line?
• The axles of your rover must be parallel.

• These axles in the picture are not parallel. 8f your axles go
through the body, then the axle holes must be the same
distance apart on the left and the right side.
• 8f you need to make a hole in a new place, then you can glue a
small piece of card with a hole in it over the old hole.
These axles are not parallel so. the rover will not go straight.
Test your rover and make it run as well as you can. 6o back and
draw your improved design. Draw the rover you have made and
write labels to explain what all the parts do. 5or example, you can
write "This piece of straw stops the wheel rubbing against the
body."
4V1LU1T4:
1t this point in a technology project, you stop and ask yourself, did
we do a good project? Did we make something that solves the
problem?
3lear an area in the classroom to show the class's Moon rovers.

Show your group's Moon rover. Show how it moves by itself or how
it rolls down a sloping plank.
Discuss these questions in the class for each Moon rover:
. What were the specifications for the Moon rover?

. Does the rover have a model of the astronaut sitting on it?
. 3an your rover carry small Moon rocks back to your Moon
lander?
...
4arth and 2eyond

. Does your rover have a hinge anywhere in it?
. Do the wheels roll easily?
. 3an your Moon rover go metres?
. Whose rover rolls the furthest?
. Does it roll in a straight line, or does it roll in a curve?
. Did you need to make the body of the rover stronger? What
did you do to make it stronger?
. 8f you really had to go to the Moon, what would you need on a
real rover car?
. Write down how far each Moon rover from each group can go
after it rolls down the plank. You now need to draw a bar
graph to present this data (information) in the space below.
Your teacher will help you to get started and then you can
finish drawing it yourself.
Take the learners through how to draw a bar graph, step by step.
4xplain why a bar graph is used and not a line graph for example.
1 line graph is used when a single variable is tracked against a
series of known quantities. 5or example, in this case, if learners
were to use one rover and test how far it went when they changed
the angle of the plank, then a line graph would be used. You can
do this as an extension to show the difference between the graphs.
.
On the other hand, a bar graph is used when there are two or more
things being measured or counted. 8n this case all the rovers are
being measured. They are not related to each other so you cannot
draw a line between the points. 2ut rather a bar graph is used to
compare the measurement for each object.
The objects being measured must go along the horizontal x-axis

(independent variable) and the distance moved must go on the
vertical y-axis (dependent variable). You can assign each group a
number to plot on the x-axis or allow them to come up with their
own names for their rovers.
Record all the results in a table on the board with the group
name/number in the first column and the distance moved in the
second column. You can then draw the axes for the graph next to
this table so that learners can see that the information from the
table is now presented differently as a graph, but it is the same
information. You can draw the bar for the first group and then let
the class finish drawing the other bars. Make sure to walk around
the class while learners are completing this.
1lthough learners do not need to know the terms independent and

dependent variable, they need to start learning about different
types of graphs as they often battle with this in the later grades.
. .
1fter you have tested and evaluated everyone's rovers as a class,
use the following space to write an
. evaluation of your own rover.
Remember to answer the questions above when evaluating how
successful your rover is.
2elow is a summary of some of the things that we learnt from

doing this project:
. 1xles must be parallel for the car to run straight.

. 1xles can be fixed and wheels free to turn, or the axle can
turn with the wheels fixed to it.
. 1xles turn in bearings. 2earings let axles turn freely.
. 1 car must have energy from some source. The source can be
a hand that lifts the car up to the top of a ramp, or the source
can be a falling weight, or the source can be rubber bands or
a blown-up balloon.
Mmm, how do we S44 into outer

Space and O2S4RV4 the other
planets? We can't just see them
by looking up into the sky. Let's
find out!
.K4Y 3ON34PTS
• Scientists send vehicles to explore the surface of moons

and other planets.
• These vehicles have radios that send back information to
scientists on 4arth.
• The vehicles need special wheels to move across the sand
and stones.
• People have been to the Moon, but no people have yet been
to Mars.
• Only vehicles (robots) operated by people back on 4arth
have been sent to explore the surface of Mars.
...
4arth and 2eyond

.
R4V8S8ON:
. 6ive three names of vehicles used on Mars to explore the

surface of the planet.
Pathfinder, Opportunity, 3uriosity, or Spirit
. Which of these vehicles is the most recent one to go to Mars?
3uriosity
. Why do people need Moon rovers when they are exploring
the surface?
They need them so that they can cover greater distances.
They also collect rock samples and so they need the rovers to
carry the samples back to their spacecraft.
. What is the main difference between vehicles used on the
Moon and vehicles used on Mars to explore the surfaces?
.
7int: This has to do with whether people have visited the
Moon or Mars.
Rovers used on the Moon are driven by people on the actual
rover. People have never been to Mars so these vehicles are
operated by people back on 4arth.
. What is the name given to the solid bar that connects two
wheels?
1n axle
. Describe how you made sure that your Moon rover went
straight and that the wheels did not fall off.
Learner dependent answer
. Why do you think the human race is so interested in exploring
other planets and objects in our solar system?
This is a learner dependent answer. (1nswers can include
something about looking for signs of other life, discovering
what makes 4arth unique, pure scientific interest, etc.)
. .
Systems for looking into Space
.K4Y QU4ST8ONS
. .• ..The
. stars we see at night - are those all the stars there are?
• 7ow do scientists find out what stars are like?
• 7ow come you can't see other planets when looking up at
the sky, but we have some beautiful close-up photographs?
. Telescopes
The telescope was first discovered by the Dutch. 8n 7olland, a lot
of the people were sailors and sea-explorers so they used their
telescopes at sea to see if ships far away on the horizon were
friends or maybe pirates.
New Words
1 telescope makes faraway things look bigger and closer.
• bright
• dishes
• distant
• faint
• lens .
• magnify
• Milky Way
• phases
• reflect
• Square
Kilometre
1rray So a telescope is like a
• radio waves
really big magnifying
glass!
7ere is an introduction you can use with your learners. 5rom the
earliest times that people could look and wonder, people have
looked up into the night sky and wondered what the bright things
up there are. They could see how these things moved but they did
not know how far away they were or what they were. They knew
that the planets are different to the stars. The stars always stay in
their same patterns, but the planets move closer to a star each
night, and then further away.
6alileo 6alilei was a professor of mathematics at the University of
Padua, 8taly. 8n he heard that somebody in 7olland had made
a telescope, and he worked out how to make one himself.
DID YOU KNOW?
6alileo got into
trouble with the
authorities because
they did not like what
he wrote. They taught
that the 4arth was the
.
centre of the universe
and the Sun, Moon,
stars and planets all
revolved around the
4arth. 6alileo told
people that was not
true, and so he was
put in jail.
6alileo 6alilei's telescope 6alileo 6alilei showing his telescope to a

looked like this. 8t could only group of scientists
see a small part of the sky at
a time.
6alileo used his telescope to look at the planets in the night sky,
and he made careful notes of what he saw there. 7e was the first
person to see that 9upiter had moons. 7e saw that Saturn has
rings and he saw that Venus has phases like the Moon has. 7e also
used his telescope to show people that the Milky Way was really
made of billions of stars. 7e wrote books that taught people about
telescopes and what they could show us in the night sky.
VISIT
. Space
The 7ubble
People can now buy telescopes like this
Telescope Story
to watch the stars from their own backyards.
goo.gl/vHZAV
. .
3hapter . Systems for looking into Space
Nowadays there are big telescopes in many parts of the world, and
these telescopes have cameras to photograph the sky.
DID YOU KNOW?

The biggest space
telescope in the world
is the 7ubble
This photo of the sky was taken through a
Telescope,. named
telescope. 4ach point of light is a star.
after 4dwin 7ubble
who first showed
there were other 8f you are based in 3ape Town, you can take your learners to visit
galaxies besides our the South 1frican 1stronomical Observatory ( ) and if you are
own, the Milky Way. based in 9ohannesburg you can go on a tour of the 9ohannesburg
Observatory .
Telescopes have shown us that there are thousands of millions of

stars that we could not see with our naked eyes. Some of those
stars are so far away that their light has been travelling for millions
of years to reach us.
VISIT The Southern 1frican Large Telescope

. from
Real-time views One of the biggest telescopes in the world is here in South 1frica,
webcams at S1LT near the town of Sutherland. The telescope is called the Southern
goo.gl/9mYji 1frican Large Telescope or S1LT. The telescope uses lenses and a
very big mirror to see the stars and take photographs of them.
...
4arth and 2eyond

This is the S1LT. 7ere the roof is This photo is taken from inside the
closed, but at night it opens so dome of S1LT and shows the large
that the telescope can see the mirror.
sky.
VISIT
Point out to learners in this photograph of the S1LT mirrors that
each mirror is a hexagon shape (like a beehive) and each mirror The South 1frican
.
focuses the light onto a single spot. The learners will see how to Large Telescope
do this in the next activity. When doing this in the activity with all (video)
the mirrors outside, bring back their attention to this image of the goo.gl/0JgbE
mirrors and the similarity.
Work in groups for the next activity as it may be hard to source

enough materials (lenses and mirrors) or each learner to be able to
do the activity by themselves.
13T8V8TY: 7ow lenses and mirrors make telescopes

work
M1T4R81LS:
• 4ach group needs a lens. You . can use hand-lenses, or round

empty bottles with water in them. Or you can use the glass
part of a light bulb, full of water. Your teacher will show you
how to remove the inside parts of an old light bulb.
• 4ach group needs a mirror. 8t can be a small mirror, or you can
make a mirror. You can glue the shiny foil from a potato-chip
packet onto cardboard.
. .
To make a lens from a light bulb, heat the metal cap of a dead light
bulb in a flame. Then carefully lower the hot part into cold water so
that the cold water just reaches the glass. The glass will crack
around the metal cap and the insides of the bulb will fall out into
the water. This will leave you with the ball-shaped glass part. 8f you
fill it with water, it makes a good lens with a short focal length.
Put masking tape or 4lastoplast on the broken edge of the glass to

prevent children cutting themselves. Of course, we are talking
about bulbs with a filament, not the new fluorescent energy-saver
bulbs.
1 lens can make things look bigger. . 8f you look through a bottle or glass
full of water, you will see how it
makes things look bigger.
8NSTRU3T8ONS (Part One):
. 7old up the lens and look at something on the wall. You can
look at a poster, for example.
. 8f you are far away from the wall, the poster will seem to be
upside down.
. When you come closer to the wall, the poster will be right
way up and bigger. The lens is magnifying the poster (to
magnify means to make bigger).
QU4ST8ONS:
. What do you notice about the shapes of lenses?

They have curved surfaces.
. Why do you think this shape is necessary for the lens?
The light must pass through a curved shape so that the light
bends; when the light from an object has come through the
curved glass we may see the object enlarged (looking bigger).
The curve makes the object look bigger as the light is bent.
...
4arth and 2eyond

8NSTRU3T8ONS (Part Two):
. Now the class must go outside into the sunshine. Take the
lens and your mirrors with you. This will work best on a hot,
clear day.
. Your teacher can point out a place on the wall that is in the
shade.
Make a chalk circle on the wall, about cm in diameter. The

learners must aim at that circle.
. Use your mirrors to reflect sunlight onto that spot.

. The class can spread out; it does not matter where you stand.
9ust make sure you move your mirror so that it helps to light
up the spot your teacher showed you.
. 8f everyone reflects sunlight onto that one spot, it will become
very bright there.
Light from all the mirrors goes to one shady spot on the wall.
QU4ST8ONS:
. 7ow could you make the spot brighter?

1sk them to make a prediction - they must say what will work
to make the spot brighter. 1nswer: The class can use even
more mirrors.
. Will the spot feel hot? Make a prediction. (To "predict" means
you say what is going to happen.)
. 7ow will you find out whether your prediction was correct?
5or example, get a report from one person who goes to put
her hand there.
. .
. The Sun does not give us only light. 8t also gives us heat. You
know that if you stand facing the Sun with your eyes closed,
you can still feel heat from the Sun on your face.
7ow could the class make the spot hotter?
Now that we have the class outside with mirrors, let's use the
opportunity to teach about radiation and solar cookers. The
Sun radiates electromagnetic waves with many frequencies.
Our eyes respond to some of those frequencies and we see
light. 8f the frequency is a little lower, our eyes cannot respond
(we don't see it) but our skin responds and we can feel the
radiation. These lower frequencies are called infrared
radiation.
1nswer: The class can use even more mirrors.
. 3an you make it even hotter by passing all the sunlight
through a lens, onto the wall?
You should try this with the class. You will need a large hand
lens about the size of a saucer. Move the lens until the spot of
light on the wall is as small as you can get it. Let one of the
learners put his hand in the spot and feel it. (8t's unlikely to
burn him.)
.
8NSTRU3T8ONS (Part Three):
. Put a candle inside a glass jar and put on the lid.
Put the candle inside the jar to ensure that the warm air is not
blown away from the candle and that it does not escape by
convection. 7ere we are extending the activity beyond telescopes
to let the learners think about solar cookers. 8n 6r. they will have
seen solar cookers - you can show them a picture of one and let
them note how large the reflector is. The larger the reflector, the
more energy the cooker can put into the food per second.
. 3an you melt the candle by using your mirrors?
The class should be able to do this if they have enough mirrors.

They must hold the mirrors steady and not wobble them around.
. 3an you melt chocolate by using your mirrors?
Try this if they cannot melt the candle. 9ust decide who will get he
melted chocolate afterwards!
1ll the mirrors work together like one big mirror, even though they
are far apart. They all collect a little bit of energy from the Sun and
send it to the bright spot.
The mirror of a telescope works like that. The light from some stars
...
4arth and 2eyond

is very faint because the stars are very far away. 2ut the big mirror
collects all the faint light and focuses it to one lens. Then the
telescope can gather (put together) enough light from the star to
get a photograph of the star. neg
The Square Kilometre 1rray (SK1)
The SK1 is a different kind of telescope for looking at the stars.

Stars send out energy in light but also in radio waves. The SK1 will
receive radio waves that our eyes cannot see.
The SK1 website has many resources to access to facilitate your

class discussion of this project ( . Do you remember the notes
above that the Sun radiates at many frequencies? Some
frequencies we can see, others we can only feel. There are many
other frequencies that we can't detect, unless we have a radio
receiver.
1n array means a large number of the same items. 5or example,

DID YOU KNOW?
when the desks in your classroom are all lined up neatly, we can
call that an array of desks. Sound waves must
have something like
The SK1 will have an array of several thousand dishes like those in air or water. to travel
the picture. When you add together the area of all the dishes, the through, but
total area will be the same as one square kilometre. 1 square electromagnetic
kilometer is an area in the shape of a square and the sides are each waves can travel
km long. The area of the square will be km . That is why the through empty space.
telescope is called the Square Kilometre 1rray.
VISIT
.
This is how the SK1 will look once it has been built. (3redit: SK1 SK1 video
Organisation) goo.gl/ERYT4
There was actually a contest between South 1frica and 1ustralia to

see who would host the SK1. 2oth countries really wanted it and
the bid and voting went on for years. Then at the beginning of
. .
, it was announced that it would rather be hosted in both
countries, but the larger portion of the dishes is to be in South
1frica and 1frica.
2ut why does SK1 need so many

dishes? 8sn't one enough?
6ood question, Sophie! Let's find out.
The dishes in the picture look like the satellite TV dishes that you
see on some people's houses. Those dishes collect the weak TV
signal that comes from a satellite high up in Space.
8n the SK1, each dish collects a little of the radio signals that come
from the stars, and sends it to a computer. The computer puts
together all the signals to make a new picture of that star.
Scientists from many countries are working together to build the

DID YOU KNOW?
SK1 in the Northern 3ape. Most of the telescopes will be near the
SK1 will be the town of 3arnarvon.
world's biggest and
.
most sensitive radio Some of the dishes will be very far away from 3arnarvon. They will
telescope in the world. also collect signals from stars and send them to the computer in
8t will be finished in 3arnarvon. This helps to improve the quality of the image that gets
the year . generated by the computer. Some dishes will be in 6hana, Zambia,
Mozambique and Madagascar.
Some of the dishes

will be far away from
3arnavon, in other
countries across
1frica, as well as
1ustralia and New
Zealand. (3redit: SK1
Project South 1frica)
...
4arth and 2eyond

.
13T8V8TY: The SK1
8NSTRU3T8ONS:
. Look at the pictures of SK1 in the text before.

. 1nswer these questions.
QU4ST8ONS:
. 7ow is the picture of the SK1 . dishes like the picture of the
class using mirrors to make a bright spot on the wall?
8t has many dishes, like the many mirrors that the class is
using.
. Why does the SK1 need so many collecting dishes?
The signal from some stars is very weak.
. Why does it help the SK1 to have dishes far away in 6hana,
Kenya, and Mozambique?
. 7ow many dishes will be in Madagascar?
Madagascar will have two dishes, but assess whether the
learners can find Madagascar on the map.
The SK1 will be able to pick up signals that stars sent out
thousands of millions of years ago. The signals have been
travelling through Space for all that time. When the SK1 picks up
those signals, we will learn something about that time when the
universe began, thousands of millions of years ago.
.K4Y 3ON34PTS
• The objects we see in the sky are very far away.

• We can use telescopes to see them more clearly, and to
measure how far away they are.
• Lenses can focus light to make a clear image.
• Mirrors help to collect more light when stars are very faint
(not bright).
. .
.
R4V8S8ON:
. What does a telescope do?

8t makes faraway objects look closer.
. 2efore 6alileo, nobody knew that the planet 9upiter had
moons. What was the reason?
The moons were too small to see with the naked eye, but
6alileo's telescope made them big enough to see.
. What does SK1 stand for?
Square Kilometre 1rray .
. Why are the words 'square kilometre' in the name?
The areas of all the dishes will add up to an area of one square
kilometre.
. With a telescope we can see very, very many stars. Why did
we not know about all those stars before there were
telescopes?
Those stars are too faint to see with the naked eye.
. 1stronomers build their telescopes far away from cities. Think
of a reason why they do this and write it down.
The bright lights of the city make the sky bright and so it is
harder to see the stars.
3ongratulations! You
are finished 6r. !
...
4arth and 2eyond

Notes
. . ...
3hapter 4lectric circuits
. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning
. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_electricity
. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_induction
. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_current
. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2monVkCkX4&feature=relmfu
3hapter 4lectrical conductors and

insulators
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/vhhammer/6567396763/
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/editor/72550973/sizes/l/
3hapter Systems to solve problems
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/andybutkaj/1495901113/
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/54400117@N03/5069103310/
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderlane/3134754840/
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/39747297@N05/5229733311/
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/magickevin/7161372557/
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonythemisfit/3052219034/
3hapter Mains electricity
. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tree_Ferns_%28psd%29.jpg
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/herry/35148275/
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/hendry/397510397/
. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alicia_Nijdam-rocinha.jpg
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ontariopowergeneration/413709598/in/photostream
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/magharebia/5263617050/
3hapter The solar system
. http://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/690/solarsystemtour.html
. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=FqX2YdnwtRc&NR=1
. http://www.nasaimages.org/luna/servlet/detail/NVA2{\raise.17ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle\
sim$}}27{\raise.17ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle\sim$}}27{\raise.17ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle\
sim$}}65049{\raise.17ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle\sim$}}127816
. http://www.nasaimages.org/luna/servlet/detail/NVA2{\raise.17ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle\
sim$}}20{\raise.17ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle\sim$}}20{\raise.17ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle\
sim$}}54397{\raise.17ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle\sim$}}125187:NASA-KSNN---Mars-Records
3hapter Systems to explore the Moon and

Mars
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/razor512/2109796582/
3hapter Systems for looking into Space
. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tel_galileo.jpg
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanwick/3461850112/
. http://www.saao.ac.za/
. http://www.saasta.ac.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemid=63)
. http://www.ska.ac.za/learn/index.php)
. .
3hapter . Notes

Gr6B NaturalSciences Teacher Eng

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Gr6B NaturalSciences Teacher Eng

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Natural Sciences

Natural Sciences and Technology Grade 6-B

Developed and funded as an ongoing project

Distributed by the Department of Basic Education.

Frontmatter Teacher's Gr. 6-A.indd 1 2012/09/29 1:21 PM

Your freedom to legally copy this book

For more information, about the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0

Frontmatter Learner's Gr. 6-B.indd 2 2012/09/29 1:28 PM

Siyavula Core Team

Siyavula Extended Team

Frontmatter Learner's Gr. 4-A.indd 3 2012/09/29 1:28 PM

Frontmatter Teacher's Gr. 6-A.indd 7 2012/09/29 1:21 PM

Natural Sciences and Technology complement each other

Natural Sciences Technology

Goal Pursuit of new knowledge and The creation of structures,

Focus Focus is on understanding the Focus is on understanding the

Developmental Discovery through carrying Making products through

Major Investigative and logical Practical solution-orientated

Evaluation Analysis , generalisation and Analysis and application of

Frontmatter Teacher's Gr. 6-A.indd 4 2012/09/29 1:21 PM

Natural Sciences Strands Technology Strands

Life and Living Structures

Allocation of teaching time

Life and Living and Structures

Chapter Time Allocation

1. Photosynthesis 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)

2. Nutrients in food 1.5 weeks (5.25 hours)

3. Nutrition 1.5 weeks (5.25 hours)

4. Food processing 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)

5. Ecosystems and food webs 2 weeks (7 hours)

Frontmatter Teacher's Gr. 6-A.indd 5 2012/09/29 1:21 PM

Chapter Time Allocation

1. Solids, liquids and gases 0.5 weeks (1.75 hours)

2. Mixtures 1 week (3.5 hours)

3. Solutions as special mixtures 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)

4. Dissolving 1 week (3.5 hours)

5. Mixtures and water resources 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)

6. Processes to purify water 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)

Energy and Change and Systems and Control

Chapter Time Allocation

1. Electric circuits 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)

2. Electrical conductors and insulators 2 weeks (7 hours)

3. Systems to solve problems 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)

4. Mains electricity 3 weeks (10.5 hours)

Earth and Beyond and Systems and Control

Chapter Time Allocation

1. The solar system 2.5 weeks (8.75 hours)

2. Movements of the Earth and planets 1 week (3.5 hours)

3. The movement of the Moon 1 week (3.5 hours)

4. Systems for looking into space 1 week (3.5 hours)

Frontmatter Teacher's Gr. 6-A.indd 6 2012/09/29 1:21 PM

4nergy and 3hange

4lectrical conductors and insulators

Systems to solve problems

4arth and 2eyond

Movements of the 4arth and planets

The movement of the Moon

Systems to explore the Moon and Mars

Systems for looking into Space

Use a Learning 3ycle approach to teach 4lectric 3ircuits:

. 4ngage: 1ssess the learners' prior knowledge by engaging

Many misconceptions develop in learners' minds about electricity

13T8V8TY: What do you know about electricity?